December 2nd – According to sources, Barnier, the EU’s chief representative for Brexit negotiations, told the representatives of the 27 EU countries on the 2nd that differences in the trade negotiations with the United Kingdom still exist, and the negotiations have reached a “time of success or failure”, and representatives of EU member states urged Barnier not to rush. Busy to reach an unsatisfactory agreement.
Data picture: On January 29, local time, the European Parliament approved the “Brexit” agreement. The picture shows the members present holding the banner of “Forever United” after the vote. China News Service Photo provided by the European Union
After Barnier reported to ambassadors in Brussels, three diplomats said that negotiations were still blocked on fishing rights in British waters, ensuring fair competition guarantees and ways to resolve future disputes.
“The differences on the three main issues remain unresolved,” said one diplomat. The agreement is still pending.”
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union, but then entered a transitional period. The UK-EU free trade agreement needs to be in place by January 1, 2021, when the internal EU market rules and the EU customs union will no longer apply to the UK, but as the deadline approaches, the possibility of “no agreement” is increasing.
Another senior diplomat said that several of the 27 EU member states want to continue negotiations after the transition period, even if it means a short period of “no agreement”. A British government official said on December 2 that the UK would not agree to extend the transition period with the EU.
Although intensive negotiations continue in London this week, it is not clear whether negotiators can bridge differences on multiple major cruxes, sources said.
