Trade talks for Brexit go into “pause”
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LONDON (AP) – A week of intense trade talks between Britain and the European Union ended in stalemate on Friday, as negotiators took a step back as politicians decide whether important differences can be bridged to avoid a messy and economically rift. damaging in less than a month.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Frost said they agreed to “pause” trade negotiations to inform their political bosses how things are going. They also indicated that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will analyze the state of the negotiations on Saturday.
“After a week of intense negotiations in London, the two lead negotiators agreed today that the conditions for a deal are not met, due to significant divergences on a level playing field, governance and fisheries,” Frost and Barnier said in a joint statement.
Talks have ranged between advances and retreats throughout the week, with the Barnier and Frost teams cloistered in a London conference center and feeding on deliveries of sandwiches and pizza.
British Trade Secretary Alok Sharma said on Friday the talks were “in a difficult phase”, while France warned it could veto any deal it doesn’t like.
UK officials informed the media that the EU delayed negotiations by making last-minute demands, a charge the bloc denied.
Britain left the EU this year, but remains part of the 27-nation economic community during an 11-month transition. Meanwhile, the two sides are trying to negotiate a new free trade agreement that will take effect on January 1. Any agreement requires the approval of legislators on both sides before the end of the year.
