Time is running out to enact any trade deal with UK: EU lawmakers

By Gabriela Baczynska and John Chalmers

 

FILE PHOTO: European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and British Prime Minister's Europe adviser David Frost are seen at start of the first round of post -Brexit trade deal talks between the EU and the United Kingdom, in Brussels, Belgium March 2, 2020. Oliver Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European lawmakers said on Friday time was running out to put in place any new trade agreement between London and the European Union before the end of an 11-month transition period following Britain's departure from the bloc.

 

Britain formally left the EU last January but has been following the bloc's rules since then as the two sides try to agree on their future trade relationship.

 

The transition period ends on Dec. 31 but negotiators are still trying to reach an agreement to protect nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade from possible quotas and tariffs.

 

Chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost will resume talks in London on Sunday, but remain divided on the three most contentious issues -- corporate fair play, fishing rights and the settling of disputes.

 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will call British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of negotiations, a spokesman for the head of the EU executive said.

 

Any trade agreement that is reached must regulate issues ranging from trade and student exchanges to energy ties and transport, and has to be ratified by the more than 700 members of the European Parliament to be enacted. The approval of the 27 EU member states is also required.

 

European lawmakers who discussed the matter on Friday said that for this to happen, a deal must be in place by the middle of this month.

 

"Given how far away we are from a deal, that seems increasingly unlikely," said one European Parliament official. "Time for ratification is running out."

 

A senior EU lawmaker who took part in Friday's meeting said that once an agreement was reached, it would have to be scrutinised by experts in many fields and translated into various languages.

 

"It's getting tight," the lawmaker said, adding that if the parliament is to ratify any agreement at a plenary sitting on Dec. 16, it will have to have the full text by Nov. 16.

 

If Britain and the EU fail to enact a new trade deal from 2021, trade disruptions are likely to weigh on the European economy, already suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Barnier and Frost are expected to issue an update on the state of talks midway through next week. If an agreement looks in reach, Johnson and von der Leyen could be brought in to try to get a deal over the line.

 

(Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-07

 

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failing to land a deal will reflect pretty bad on both parties

 

 

"Kicking the can further on the road " once more another deadline must be found .../ invented ? .....Or another word searched for an "extension "...?

Implication period is already used ,..so that one can not be anymore Boris !...walk away line also ....! 

So....what shall be the new word / line now ? ????

I am an ardent remainer, however, I believe the EU are unrealistic in their demands which in my mind are punishment for leaving the EU. No country  gives up territory on land or sea without proper compensation or the right to self administration once the decision to leave has been decided by the referendum. I bothers me to say that because I'd be quite happy to see bonking Boris consigned to the political  wilderness or even Hades ????

4 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

failing to land a deal will reflect pretty bad on both parties

 

 

Especially for those who claimed it would be the easiest deal in history, negotiated over an afternoon tea, having the cake and eating it. 
 

I still think there will be some sort of barebones deal, followed be an extension. But I wouldn’t mind no deal, so that Brexiteers get the full damage of their nonsense. 

2 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Especially for those who claimed it would be the easiest deal in history, negotiated over an afternoon tea, having the cake and eating it. 
 

I still think there will be some sort of barebones deal, followed be an extension. But I wouldn’t mind no deal, so that Brexiteers get the full damage of their nonsense. 

Strange attitude, would have thought any Brit would be behind its countries future, including those who voted to remain.

1 minute ago, transam said:

Strange attitude, would have thought any Brit would be behind its countries future, including those who voted to remain.

I’m not a Brit. 

Just now, welovesundaysatspace said:

I’m not a Brit. 

Great, that explains a lot.....

3 minutes ago, transam said:

Strange attitude, would have thought any Brit would be behind its countries future, including those who voted to remain.

Some may not share your idea of what future is best for the country.

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Some may not share your idea of what future is best for the country.

My idea is about the UK being controlled by others, and the way the EU club is evolving is all I care about, not the future price of tomatoes....... ????

9 minutes ago, transam said:

My idea is about the UK being controlled by others, and the way the EU club is evolving is all I care about, not the future price of tomatoes....... ????

Like the US dictating UK taxation policies?!

23 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Like the US dictating UK taxation policies?!

Sorry, that's not my field, freedom, land and water is....????

48 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Some may not share your idea of what future is best for the country.

We are where we are....now to make the best of it, is that too hard for you to understand?

No point in bleating on about what might have been. I have trust in the government and advisors that if a no deal is chosen, it will be to avoid the UK being suffocated by EU imposed conditions in the future.

4 hours ago, uncleP said:

I am an ardent remainer, however, I believe the EU are unrealistic in their demands which in my mind are punishment for leaving the EU. No country  gives up territory on land or sea without proper compensation or the right to self administration once the decision to leave has been decided by the referendum. I bothers me to say that because I'd be quite happy to see bonking Boris consigned to the political  wilderness or even Hades ????

The demands of the EU are simple: you want to do business inside the Union, than in accordance with EU laws, rules and regulations. In case of a dispute: EU courts are the only to decide. Both Boris denies.

Fish... is only in the UK an issue.

 

However, what everybody seems to forget: Anyone, who thinks

a) any industry wants to take the resultk not to get raw materials, spare parts or components in time seen possibly line up of trucks at the UK-EU border ?? Of course not, and are switching to EU origin.

b) any retailer, who reserves shop shelf space for products there is no supply guarantee or no idea about the cost price seen import duty ? Of course not. Place si already being taken by EU origin products.

And same on the other side of the cod pool, in the UK.

 

A Hard Brexit is already happening, whatever the politicians might find out.

3 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

But I wouldn’t mind no deal, so that Brexiteers get the full damage of their nonsense. 

This is also what I want.

 

A full WTO exit followed by whatever comes with it.

 

Things will adjust accordingly.

 

3 hours ago, 473geo said:

We are where we are....now to make the best of it, is that too hard for you to understand?

No point in bleating on about what might have been. I have trust in the government and advisors that if a no deal is chosen, it will be to avoid the UK being suffocated by EU imposed conditions in the future.

I have NO trust in Bonkin' Boris or his advisor Dominic Cummings

The problem has always been the EU have too many members to please, UK can be flexible, and yes stubborn, Barnier simply cannot be seen to put something in front of the members that will fail because one country feels aggrieved, thus all the EU can do is 'demand' in line with the thinking of individual member states, exactly the inflexible situation and decision making UK is happy to move away from.

Just now, NeoDinosaw said:

I have NO trust in Bonkin' Boris or his advisor Dominic Cummings

Then I trust you will taking your chances on a move to Europe, plenty of lovely reasonably priced homes in rural France, or maybe Thailand?

1 minute ago, 473geo said:

Then I trust you will taking your chances on a move to Europe, plenty of lovely reasonably priced homes in rural France, or maybe Thailand?

I used to have a  holiday house in France  (Normandy countryside). I sold that.  After retiring I bought a house in Thailand instead. 

1 hour ago, puipuitom said:

The demands of the EU are simple: you want to do business inside the Union, than in accordance with EU laws, rules and regulations. In case of a dispute: EU courts are the only to decide. Both Boris denies.

Fish... is only in the UK an issue.

 

However, what everybody seems to forget: Anyone, who thinks

a) any industry wants to take the resultk not to get raw materials, spare parts or components in time seen possibly line up of trucks at the UK-EU border ?? Of course not, and are switching to EU origin.

b) any retailer, who reserves shop shelf space for products there is no supply guarantee or no idea about the cost price seen import duty ? Of course not. Place si already being taken by EU origin products.

And same on the other side of the cod pool, in the UK.

 

A Hard Brexit is already happening, whatever the politicians might find out.

These rules were not imposed on Canada.

Everyone accepts and agrees with you having to conform to EU standards to import goods. The UK has been aligned for almost 50 years in this respect.

British territorial waters are just that "British" Try telling that to the French and Spanish!

Any moderation of disputes should be independent .

Just now, NeoDinosaw said:

I used to have a  holiday house in France  (Normandy countryside). I sold that.  After retiring I bought a house in Thailand instead. 

Living on the Thai old age Pension? or perhaps a UK pension and a private one? all due to previous government decisions by people you probably did not trust?

16 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Then I trust you will taking your chances on a move to Europe, plenty of lovely reasonably priced homes in rural France, or maybe Thailand?

prices are on a slope in euro land cos of covid and no buyers in a pandemic.only portugal is on the up

11 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

failing to land a deal will reflect pretty bad on both parties

 

 

Definitely NOT. 

Without a law breaking UK a deal would have signed already. 

12 hours ago, transam said:

13 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Like the US dictating UK taxation policies?!

Sorry, that's not my field, freedom, land and water is....

 

You realise that you're saying you're happy for the UK government's taxation policy to be dictated by someone else?

 

And you call that freedom ????.

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is also what I want.

 

A full WTO exit followed by whatever comes with it.

 

Things will adjust accordingly.

 

 

If trading on WTO terms only is so good, why is it no other WTO member does so?

 

Even Mauretania, the only WTO member who used to do so, now has trade deals with others; including since 2018 the EU!

9 hours ago, 473geo said:

The problem has always been the EU have too many members to please, UK can be flexible, and yes stubborn, Barnier simply cannot be seen to put something in front of the members that will fail because one country feels aggrieved, thus all the EU can do is 'demand' in line with the thinking of individual member states, exactly the inflexible situation and decision making UK is happy to move away from.

"exactly the inflexible situation and decision making UK is happy to move away from."

 

So why sitting than 4 years on that negotiation table ......hoping for what ..?

E.U. going flat belly ?????

Forget .... you lost 4 years ...will not happen ...go rules the waves ...not rules the E.U....????

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/07/brexit-talks-remain-deadlocked-going-into-decisive-week

 

Brexit talks remain deadlocked going into decisive week

‘Large differences remain’ after call between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen

 

 

 

 

Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Lisa O'Carroll in London

Sat 7 Nov 2020 15.13 GMT

 

The Brexit negotiations remained stuck after a call between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen before a decisive week of talks.

 

The European commission president and the prime minister both highlighted in their post-call statements the contentious issues of EU access to British waters and agreement on future rules to ensure fair competition.

13 hours ago, transam said:

Sorry, that's not my field, freedom, land and water is....????

By becoming a member of the E.U.

Belgium is still called Belgium.

We still have the same quantity of land and water, nothing was taken from us. 

We still have a king, Belgium didn't become a republic, like Germany and France. 

Our government has still the freedom to issue laws and regulations proper for its citizens. 

We still have our problems between Flemish and Walloons. 

But :

We have now the Euro instead of the Belgian Frank. 

 

We learned to live with it. 

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

By becoming a member of the E.U.

Belgium is still called Belgium.

We still have the same quantity of land and water, nothing was taken from us. 

We still have a king, Belgium didn't become a republic, like Germany and France. 

Our government has still the freedom to issue laws and regulations proper for its citizens. 

We still have our problems between Flemish and Walloons. 

But :

We have now the Euro instead of the Belgian Frank. 

 

We learned to live with it. 

 

 

 

 

And....not forgetting having better pensions than U.K. ....and never frozen wherever we live on this big World ...????????

No tricks needed ...no waiting list for be accepted medical care if returning even for short time or re-patriating home country .....is based on purely nationality right only ????

12 minutes ago, david555 said:

And....not forgetting having better pensions than U.K. ....and never frozen wherever we live on this big World ...????????

No tricks needed ...no waiting list for be accepted medical care if returning even for short time or re-patriating home country .....is based on purely nationality right only ????

Every country, within or without the E. U.,can on its own decide how important pensions are, establish the medical care conditions. 

Belgium decided pensions are important, and made the conditions for it, and to have access to medical care, rather easy. 

The U.K. seems to have other priorities.

A pitty in my opinion , but I respect the autonomy of a nation. 

It is up to the Britons, to express themselves, if they want changes in their actual system.