Brexit talks remain deadlocked
Talks between the EU and the UK on a post-Brexit trade deal have reached another stalemate as major differences remain between the two sides, despite their negotiators’ intense efforts to clinch a deal.
EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart, David Frost issued a joint statement on Friday evening, making the same Twitter post, after a week of talks held in London.
“After one week of intense negotiations in London, together with @DavidGHFrost, we agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries,” Barnier tweeted. He added that the two sides also agreed to pause the talks “in order to brief our principals on the state of play of the negotiations.”
UK’s Prime Minister and the EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are expected to hold a telephone call on Saturday, after their Brexit negotiators called it a day without a deal, the announcement further reads.
Here is a statement from myself and @MichelBarnier about the state of play in our negotiations. pic.twitter.com/P5Uhg7RQUz
— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) December 4, 2020
The course of bilateral talks had been hinted by the Commission’s chief, who told MEPs during the parliament’s plenary session that she was unsure whether a deal could be reached, despite significant “progress” reported in talks.
With the time looming, should the two sides not manage to reach a deal before the end of the transition period, on December 31, the EU and the UK will need to trade on the terms foreseen by the World Trade Organisation.
