After a week of negotiations in London, David Frost admitted “considerable gaps” between Britain and the European Union remain. He said the UK would continue negotiating with the bloc with the belief an agreement can be struck by September. Mr Frost said: “We have just concluded our latest round of negotiations with the EU. These were the first formal trade discussions to have taken place in London during these talks and were part of the intensified process agreed for July.
“It is unfortunately clear that we will not reach in July the 'early understanding on the principles underlying any agreement' that was set as an aim at the High Level Meeting on June 15.
"At that meeting, the Prime Minister set out once again the fundamental principles which we have repeatedly made clear would need to underpin any future agreement and which are intrinsic to the UK’s future as an economically and politically independent country.
"Any agreement needs to honour these principles in full. The EU’s proposals so far, while a welcome response to the Prime Minister’s statement, do not do so, and therefore substantial areas of disagreement remain.”
Talks on fisheries stalled with both sides claiming there are fundamental differences between their positions.
And on the regulatory level-playing field, British negotiators were concerned their EU counterparts to engage with fresh proposals based on World Trade rules.
Mr Frost added: "Considerable gaps remain in the most difficult areas, that is, the so-called level playing field and on fisheries.
“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.”
Speaking after the talks, Michel Barnier accused the UK of not engaging on the most controversial areas of the trade deal – including fisheries and the level-playing field.
The Frenchman said: "The UK has not shown the same level of engagement and readiness to find solutions respecting the EU’s fundamental principles and interests."
He added: “The UK did not show a willingness to break the deadlock.”
Mr Barnier insisted the UK’s position makes it unlikely a deal will be struck before the post-Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year.
The Brussels bureaucrat urged Britain not to waste time with October the deadline to broker an agreement.
He said: “This means simply that by its current refusal to commit to the condition of open and fair competition, and to a balanced agreement on fisheries, the UK makes a trade agreement, at this point, unlikely.”
Mr Frost and Mr Barnier will hold further informal talks in London next week in the hope of making more progress.
The pair are due to hold another full round of trade talks in mid-August.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5leHByZXNzLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3MvMTMxMzMzOC9icmV4aXQtbmV3cy1icmV4aXQtdHJhZGUtdGFsa3MtVUstRVUtZGVhZGxpbmUtZGF2aWQtZnJvc3QtbWljaGVsLWJhcm5pZXItYm9yaXMtam9obnNvbtIBigFodHRwczovL3d3dy5leHByZXNzLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3MvMTMxMzMzOC9icmV4aXQtbmV3cy1icmV4aXQtdHJhZGUtdGFsa3MtVUstRVUtZGVhZGxpbmUtZGF2aWQtZnJvc3QtbWljaGVsLWJhcm5pZXItYm9yaXMtam9obnNvbi9hbXA?oc=5
2020-07-23 11:07:00Z
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