Britain and the European Union declared that the conclusion of a new trade agreement between the two sides after Brexit, “is currently impossible due to the remaining differences on fundamental issues.”
This came in a joint statement issued today by Mr. Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, and Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
The statement indicated that Johnson and von der Leyen asked the co-chairs of the two parties to the negotiations to prepare a paper on the issues that impede reaching an agreement to be discussed in a direct meeting in the coming days.
European Union sources said that no real progress was achieved in the trade talks that took place, today, and that “the two sides may in fact have moved further away from concluding a new agreement.”
This comes as Johnson and the leaders of the European Union countries are expected to arrive in Brussels in the coming days. It is not unlikely that the two sides will discuss ways to bridge their trade differences regarding a “free trade agreement” before the end of this month, the date for Britain’s formal exit from the European Union (Brexit). .
It is worth noting that issues such as “equal competition”, “governance” and “fishing” are still hindering the two sides from reaching an agreement that prevents resorting to the rules of the World Trade Organization in their commercial dealings, as the European Union seeks to ensure Britain’s commitment to follow its rules related to government support, which is What Britain rejects because it violates the principle of its sovereignty over its laws .. While London seeks to ensure the entry of British fish to European markets without fees, the European Union wants in return to guarantee the entry of European fishing vessels to British territorial waters.
