EU summit to say Brexit progress "still not sufficient"

By Gabriela Baczynska

 

Puzzle with printed EU and UK flags is seen in this illustration taken November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss Brexit will say that progress in talks with Britain is "still not sufficient" to seal a new trade deal, according to a draft summit decision seen by Reuters.

 

As the year-end deadline approaches to put in place a new relationship with ex-member Britain, the 27 national EU heads will also agree to step up contingency preparations for an abrupt split, without a deal to avoid trade tariffs or quotas.

 

With a trillion euros of annual trade at stake, the summit will also tell the EU's Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, to intensify talks to get an agreement by Dec. 31, when the current standstill agreement expires.

 

"It is in the interests of both sides to have an agreement in place before the end of the transition period," EU summit chairman Charles Michel said in a invitation letter to leaders.

 

"This cannot, however, happen at any price. The coming days are decisive. Key issues include, in particular, the level playing field, fisheries and governance," he said.

 

These three areas, covering guarantees of fair competition, fishing rights and dispute settlement procedures, have long been the main sticking points, although some progress has been made in recent weeks.

 

The leaders will also tell Britain it must implement in full its earlier Brexit divorce treaty with the bloc, according to the draft, prepared in advance of the meeting.

 

This refers to a bill now going through the British parliament that would give the government the power to break that treaty - a measure that it says may be necessary to protect trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and will only be used if the talks with the EU fail.

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to talk to the head of the bloc's executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday to discuss next steps on the eve of the leaders' summit.

 

"Without engagement on governance and no movement on fish, it's not unthinkable that we will run out of time for an agreement," one EU diplomat said.

 

"That said, there is also a positive context - parties are trying to find a way forward, but the bottom line is that the UK is not willing to pay Europe's asking price."

 

The EU says a deal must be agreed this month to leave time for ratification by the European Parliament. However, EU diplomats have told Reuters the bloc is gearing up to negotiate until mid-November to avoid being blamed if the talks fail.

 

"A deal is still possible, I am not so pessimistic," a second EU diplomat said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-14

 

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That's it then...we walk away tomorrow.....well done BJ.

1 minute ago, Surelynot said:

That's it then...we walk away tomorrow.....well done BJ.

Nah Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU, know the UK cannot afford to crash out with no deal.

It will carry on like this until about the middle of December then Johnson will capitulate. What we will get will be Brino.

Now idea what the Brexit fundamentalists will do at that point. They will either have to declare Johnson a traitor or claim that Brino was what they voted for and always wanted.

 

I'm stocking up on the popcorn ????

1 minute ago, Rookiescot said:

Nah Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU, know the UK cannot afford to crash out with no deal.

It will carry on like this until about the middle of December then Johnson will capitulate. What we will get will be Brino.

Now idea what the Brexit fundamentalists will do at that point. They will either have to declare Johnson a traitor or claim that Brino was what they voted for and always wanted.

 

I'm stocking up on the popcorn ????

No...I don't believe for one minute he has the ***** to stick to his own deadline....bluff and bluster...not a clue.... He is nothing more than a third rate journalist.

 

who am I? the odd one!

will not be surprised if the deal circus will be revisited way beyond Thursday

if the artists (in the circus) so fancy, the time is still available

 

(not putting my head in the wager, but a few Belhavens I can do without)

 

Just now, melvinmelvin said:

 

who am I? the odd one!

will not be surprised if the deal circus will be revisited way beyond Thursday

if the artists (in the circus) so fancy, the time is still available

 

(not putting my head in the wager, but a few Belhavens I can do without)

 

and if the croaking frog still thinks that the odd cod speaking the jock lingo can be extracted from foggy island waters

its in his interest to push on

 

Can talk the talk......but struggling to walk the walk.

2 hours ago, Surelynot said:

No...I don't believe for one minute he has the ***** to stick to his own deadline....bluff and bluster...not a clue.... He is nothing more than a third rate journalist.

WRONG - he is 5th rate at best !

2 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Nah Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU, know the UK cannot afford to crash out with no deal.

It will carry on like this until about the middle of December then Johnson will capitulate. What we will get will be Brino.

Now idea what the Brexit fundamentalists will do at that point. They will either have to declare Johnson a traitor or claim that Brino was what they voted for and always wanted.

 

I'm stocking up on the popcorn ????

So quietly only you know of this.

4 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Without engagement on governance and no movement on fish, it's not unthinkable that we will run out of time for an agreement," one EU diplomat said.

 

"That said, there is also a positive context - parties are trying to find a way forward, but the bottom line is that the UK is not willing to pay Europe's asking price."

 

The EU says a deal must be agreed this month to leave time for ratification by the European Parliament. However, EU diplomats have told Reuters the bloc is gearing up to negotiate until mid-November to avoid being blamed if the talks fail.

Well they have run out of time now and there is no movement on fish. What makes them think a few more weeks will make any difference?

 "...the bottom line is that the UK is not willing to pay Europe's asking price." sums all it up really, so why keep going through the motions?

 

This cannot about garnering another year of contributions because the cash cow has left the building. It will still be the EU's fault when the extended talks fail again.

What are they going to tell each other at their summit, when there's still no capitulation by Boris?

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

So quietly only you know of this.

What do you think is going to happen?

2 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

What do you think is going to happen?

If you admit that you made stuff up I'll tell you.

Boris and others promised the impossible. And obviously it's impossible to deliver the impossible. Now they desperately try to blame the EU that the impossible is impossible. What a stupid show - and half the UK still supports that clown.

It seems finally the UK get's prepared...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/14/roadside-portable-loos-planned-for-lorry-drivers-delayed-by-brexit-checks

 

 

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Boris and others promised the impossible. And obviously it's impossible to deliver the impossible. Now they desperately try to blame the EU that the impossible is impossible. What a stupid show - and half the UK still supports that clown.

 

It doesn't matter, we voted for this Impossible Dream.

 

 

7 hours ago, nauseus said:

If you admit that you made stuff up I'll tell you.

What stuff did I make up?

10 hours ago, Loiner said:

What are they going to tell each other at their summit,

Trying to convince Mr. Macron and Spain and Belgium ( For my country, I don't think that difficult, if there is a reasonable in lieu of ).

Mr. Jonhson believe it is possible, as he extend once more his ultimatum, which is wise, in my opinion.

Personally I would have preferred No Deal last year before we signed May's awful withdrawal agreement, but hopefully Boris won't bottle it and we can finally escape the greasy tentacles of the corrupt protectionist racket at the end of the year. 

6 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

and we can finally escape the greasy tentacles of the corrupt protectionist racket at the end of the year. 

I read here regularly this comment expressed by some Britons.

However, for one or another reason, I read it only here,  by some of one nationality only.

Now I don't have a problem that someone express his opinion.

It only seems to me to be rather unique.

36 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Personally I would have preferred No Deal last year before we signed May's awful withdrawal agreement, but hopefully Boris won't bottle it and we can finally escape the greasy tentacles of the corrupt protectionist racket at the end of the year. 

We didn't sign Mays deal. Johnson signed HIS oven ready deal. His great deal. His fantastic deal.

8 hours ago, nauseus said:

It doesn't matter, we voted for this Impossible Dream.

This quote definitely deserves a place in the hall of fame of Brexiteer comments, just between “we will hold all the cards” and “the easiest deal in history”. 

16 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Nah Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU, know the UK cannot afford to crash out with no deal.

It will carry on like this until about the middle of December then Johnson will capitulate. What we will get will be Brino.

Now idea what the Brexit fundamentalists will do at that point. They will either have to declare Johnson a traitor or claim that Brino was what they voted for and always wanted.

 

I'm stocking up on the popcorn ????

"Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU"

 

Both are quietly dropping their "deadlines" and the kick-up the jacksy for Barnier is a reminder that he doesn't just work for Macron and French fishermen. 

 

Both sides are still posturing - a no deal is bad for all.

1 hour ago, luckyluke said:

I read here regularly this comment expressed by some Britons.

However, for one or another reason, I read it only here,  by some of one nationality only.

Now I don't have a problem that someone express his opinion.

It only seems to me to be rather unique.

 

Guess we don't have too many disgruntled Polish, Hungarian, Italian, Greek, etc members then? 

 

Or possibly some feel that as their country takes out more than it puts in, it's a good club?

 

Some possible feel that their particular nation rules the roost by dominating the EU in a way they couldn't otherwise achieve?

 

Who knows, opinions vary so much. 

 

But, IME of working and living in several EU countries, the British are the least tolerant of excessive bureaucracy and excessive corruption and waste. 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

"Johnson is already quietly dropping the deadline he set.

For all his bluff and bluster he, and the EU"

 

Both are quietly dropping their "deadlines" and the kick-up the jacksy for Barnier is a reminder that he doesn't just work for Macron and French fishermen. 

 

Both sides are still posturing - a no deal is bad for all.

What deadline has the EU set?

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Who knows, opinions vary so much. 

Fully agree,

and no opinion has less/more value than another.

16 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

and if the croaking frog still thinks that the odd cod speaking the jock lingo can be extracted from foggy island waters

its in his interest to push on

 

 

I think I understand you. (Are you related to Nostradamus?).

 

I saw an interviews with a French fishermen association representative. He was suggesting, strongly, that reduced catches and quotas were better than no catches and quotas. But that the industry expected that the French government would then have to compensate fishermen for loss of earnings!

 

 

9 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

Fully agree,

and no opinion has less/more value than another.

 

So true. But in today's politically correct environment, that seems to have been forgotten.

11 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

What deadline has the EU set?

 

Read the article. Read previous articles from early this year in which the new EU commission president was suggesting delaying deadlines due to Covid.

Think the UK should go back to the old fishing rules - when we joined EU - how many Spanish & French trawlers nearly killed all stock 

Other than that everything up for negotiable terms 

If no deal may happen, does that mean there will be no UK food products at Central Festival?

 

Something like these....