The European Union is making one more “final effort” to negotiate a trade agreement with the United Kingdom for the period after December 31, said chief negotiator Michel Barnier. Earlier in the day, according to insiders, the EU rejected a compromise proposal from the British on fishing.
“We are at a crucial stage. We are making one last effort,” Barnier said ahead of a meeting with diplomats from the 27 member states.
The UK has according to news agency sources Bloomberg proposed to reduce the value of the fish that EU Member States catch in UK waters by 30 percent, but the EU would not want to go beyond a 25 percent cut. The British had already dropped from their earlier 60 percent demand.
The EU and the UK are currently negotiating what mutual trade should look like as of January 1, when the British have also technically left the EU. Until the turn of the year there is a transition period in which trade is conducted according to old agreements.
Fishing is one of the main points of contention still on the table. The EU wants European fishermen to continue to have access to British waters, but the British want to be able to decide for themselves. In addition, there is still disagreement about supervision and state aid.
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