In the Brexit dispute, Great Britain and the European Union want to make one last attempt to reach a free trade agreement. “This is the final roll of the dice,” said a British government official on Saturday evening, “a fair deal must be made that works for both sides.” Prior to this, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed in a telephone conversation that the negotiations would continue despite significant differences. On Monday evening they want to speak to each other again and clarify whether the three remaining points of dispute have been resolved by then.
The fishing quotas for EU fishermen in British waters, requirements for fair competition between companies in the UK and the EU and the question of how disputes should be settled are still unclear. Over the weekend, London and Brussels accused each other of overdrawning the negotiations with new demands and thus making an agreement more difficult. In diplomatic circles this was seen as a so-called blame game, in which neither side wants to be responsible for the failure of the talks.
Without a trade agreement, there is a risk of a hard break in less than four weeks: The UK left the EU at the end of January, but citizens and companies will not really feel it until the beginning of January. Because at the turn of the year the Brexit transition phase ends, during which Great Britain is still part of the EU internal market and the customs union. If a trade agreement is not concluded in December, customs duties and controls will be introduced from January onwards, to the detriment of companies and consumers.
Even before the weekend, this Monday was given in Brussels and London as the final deadline by which it must be clear whether an agreement is possible. After that, a deal would be even more difficult because Johnson wants to bring his controversial single market law back to the House of Commons on Monday evening. The legal act would undermine parts of the current withdrawal agreement and is therefore seen by Brussels as a provocation and breach of trust. If the legislative process were to continue, it would be an enormous burden on the talks on the trade agreement. On the other hand, if an agreement were reached by Monday evening, Johnson would no longer need this law.
Downing Street made it clear on Sunday that the Prime Minister would have the full support of his cabinet even in the event of a no-deal scenario. Previously, Brexit supporters in Johnson’s Conservative Party had warned of a revolt if the prime minister sold himself to the EU. A British government official said that an agreement with Brussels would only be reached if the European Union was ready to respect the UK’s sovereignty.
– .
