BRITAIN’S Brexit Chief blasted the “difficult” EU today with talks on the verge of collapse.
David Frost said “substantial areas of disagreement remain” between both sides after the latest round of talks – and warned of a last chance to avoid No Deal.
Both sides accepted that a deal would not be done by Boris’ July deadline -and No Deal could still happen in 2021.
He said he couldn’t understand why it was “so difficult” for the EU to understand why Britain wanted a free trade agreement like Canada does.
And he continued that “considerable gaps remain in the most difficult areas, that is, the so-called level playing field and on fisheries.”
Mr Frost said: “We have always been clear that our principles in these areas are not simple negotiating positions but expressions of the reality that we will be a fully independent country at the end of the transition period.
“That is why we continue to look for a deal with, at its core, a free trade agreement similar to the one the EU already has with Canada – that is, an agreement based on existing precedents.
“We remain unclear why this is so difficult for the EU, but we will continue to negotiate with this in mind. “
Michel Barnier said at a press conference this lunchtime that a trade agreement at this point was “unlikely” and the EU was “getting ready” for a No Deal.
He said we were still “far away” from an agreement but stressed the talks were “positive” and “professional”.
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<h3 class="article-boxout__headline">Brexit timeline</h3>
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<div>June: Boris aims to get deal done by end of July
July 23: Both sides agree timeline will slip
July 27: Informal Brexit talks start in London again
August: Another round of formal Brexit talks
September: UK hopeful of a deal sealed
October: Deal could be rubber stamped with EU summit
December 31: UK leaves transition period – with deal or on ‘Australia terms’
There had been “no progress” in some areas and “this week again the UK did not show a willingness to break the deadlock.”
“By its current refusal to commit to fair and open competition, the UK makes a trade agreement at this point unlikely,” he said.
“We only have a few weeks left, so we should not waste time.”
But Britain was more optimistic, with Mr Frost saying he was hopeful an agreement could be done by September and vowed to continue to “keep working hard to bridge the gaps”.
Mr Frost warned today after the latest round of discussions: “We must face the possibility that [a deal] will not be reached, and we must therefore continue preparing for all possible scenarios for the end of the transition period at the end of this year.”
A senior source close to the EU negotiations said this lunchtime that the talks were “close to both” a breakdown or a breakthrough.
“I can see how we could make a breakthrough relatively quickly if they do adjust their position in the most important areas.
“If they don’t, we won’t.
“If we don’t agree on these points, there isn’t going to be a deal.
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<!--googleon: all-->“It’s in their hands, to a large extent.”
EU negotiators will come back to London next week for informal discussions, with another round of official talks scheduled for 17 August onwards.
Mr Barnier said today that the bloc was prepared to negotiate “right until the 11th hour”, even though both sides wanted one done ahead of time.
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