BRUSSELS/LONDON Oct 3,2020: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had no breakthrough to announce on Friday as a week of EU talks with Britain ended, but remained optimistic that sealing a deal on a post-Brexit trade relationship was still possible before the end of the year.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel puts on her protective mask after speaking in a news conference during the second face-to-face EU summit since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool
Her words were echoed by Britain’s chief negotiator, David Frost, who said that while progress had been made in some areas, the main differences between the two sides remained, with the gap on fisheries “unfortunately very large”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was more blunt, telling the European Union it was up to the bloc to show common sense.
Both Johnson and the EU have set a mid-October goal for reaching a trade agreement, but the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier suggested talks would continue up until the end of the month.
There are still major hurdles to ensuring smooth ties after Dec. 31, when a standstill post-Brexit transition ends, and a chaotic split without a new agreement in place would jeopardize an estimated trillion euros worth of annual trade.
Barnier noted fresh progress on aviation safety and safeguards of fundamental rights but said there was none on personal data protection or carbon pricing.
Johnson again said Britain only wanted a deal similar to the kind that the EU had handed other countries such as Canada.
