Significant differences still remain in EU-UK trade talks

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a statement on the current statistics, testing and lockdown measures during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, during a news conference at Downing Street in London, Britain November 5, 2020. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Significant differences remain in talks over a trade deal between Britain and the European Union, both sides said on Saturday, as they promised to step up efforts to find an agreement.

 

After a call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both said talks would continue in London next week but that the main sticking points remained.

 

"The prime minister set out that, while some progress had been made in recent discussions, significant differences remain in a number of areas, including the so-called level playing field and fish," a spokesman for Johnson's office said.

 

There was a similar message from Von der Leyen.

 

"Some progress has been made, but large differences remain especially on level playing field and fisheries," she said on Twitter.

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.

 

Both sides say an agreement can be struck before then but little progress has been made over the issues of corporate fair play, fishing rights and the settling of disputes.

 

The chief negotiators, the EU's Michel Barnier and Britain's David Frost, will resume talks in London on Monday and will "redouble efforts to reach a deal", Johnson's office said.

 

"Our teams will continue working hard next week. We will remain in close contact in the next days," Von der Leyen said.

 

Time is running out for an agreement this year, and 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.

 

Even if there is a deal, a report this week said trade between Britain and the EU still faces widespread disruption from Jan. 1, while systems needed to implement requirements of the Brexit divorce deal will not be ready.

 

(Reporting by Michael Holden and Jan Strupczewski in Brussels; Editing by Jason Neely and Catherine Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-08

 

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Walk away Boris, as the EU don't want a deal other than to control the UK like they have done, while part of the EU and like with all of the other countries in the EU.

Walk away Boris. You can’t negotiate with people who are trying to punish you. Time for a clean break and take back that which is ours.

 

No Deal please.

Walk away Johnson.

Brexiteers never knew what they wanted anyway. 

5 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Walk away Johnson.

Brexiteers never knew what they wanted anyway. 

How would you know, rather a strange assumption.......?

I don't know why Mr. Johnson don't walk away.

I can only speculate, that he is convinced that a non-deal would be more detrimental than having one.

23 minutes ago, transam said:

How would you know, rather a strange assumption.......?

In what way?

You say you want a deal. Other Brexiteers say they want no deal.

And none of you knew what you were voting for.

2 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

In what way?

You say you want a deal. Other Brexiteers say they want no deal.

And none of you knew what you were voting for.

Everybody wants a deal, but not necessary on the hog tied terms that are being offered by Mr Barnier.

51 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

In what way?

You say you want a deal. Other Brexiteers say they want no deal.

And none of you knew what you were voting for.

You voted to be in the U.S. of G., we know that, Brexit is done, but you still post as you still being part of the EU, we know that. Try getting behind your country, as there is no turning back the EU clock.

 

But, we also know you think that Scotland will soon be independent, and join the U.S. of G....Don't fink so chap..????

 

1 minute ago, transam said:

You voted to be in the U.S. of G., we know that, Brexit is done, but you still post as you still being part of the EU, we know that. Try getting behind your country, as there is no turning back the EU clock.

 

But, we also know you think that Scotland will soon be independent, and join the U.S. of G....Don't fink so chap..????

 

What an irrelevant post.

My point was some Brexiteers want a deal and some want no deal. 

The fact is none of you knew what you were voting for. If you had you would all want the same thing.

Just now, Rookiescot said:

What an irrelevant post.

My point was some Brexiteers want a deal and some want no deal. 

The fact is none of you knew what you were voting for. If you had you would all want the same thing.

More assumptions from you, how tiresome....I voted for Brexit, to get out of the EU by any means, so what one of your "brackets" am I in.....?  ????

Walk away Boris, Trump will give you a deal.

2 minutes ago, vogie said:

To quote ardent remainer Nick Clegg: 

"There will be some people who like those Japanese soldiers who continued fighting the last war because no-one had told them it had ended in some Pacific island, who will carry on arguing and arguing and arguing. The rest of us, will just move on. Carry on, with the rest of our lives.”

Some folk struggle with the fact democracy is a continuous process.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Some folk struggle with the fact democracy is a continuous process.

You could set up your own slogan consultancy services.

Just now, vogie said:

You could set up your own slogan consultancy services.

Slogans are your thing, I’ll leave you to it.k

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Slogans are your thing, I’ll leave you to it.k

You are the one speaking in slogish. ????????????

 

20 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

What an irrelevant post.

My point was some Brexiteers want a deal and some want no deal. 

The fact is none of you knew what you were voting for. If you had you would all want the same thing.

Similar to some Scots voting in the 2014 referendum

Some  voted for independence regardless  not knowing what currency you would have, or if you would be inside or outside of the eu

and some voted for independence who hoped that you would keep the Scottish pound and you would remain in the EU but independent from  the UK

1 minute ago, vinny41 said:

Similar to some Scots voting in the 2014 referendum

Some  voted for independence regardless  not knowing what currency you would have, or if you would be inside or outside of the eu

and some voted for independence who hoped that you would keep the Scottish pound and you would remain in the EU but independent from  the UK

Currency. The goto argument for Unionists.

The question was answered at the time. We would carry on using the pound until we decided to change. 

1 minute ago, transam said:

It doesn't, I have read a zillion of your posts over the years regarding this subject, but you are not alone in my "assumption"....????

OK then feel free to provide evidence of my anti Brit stance.

8 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Currency. The goto argument for Unionists.

The question was answered at the time. We would carry on using the pound until we decided to change. 

You were told in 2014 that decision wasn't  for Scotland to retain the pound or not  Scotland was told that decision would be made by Westminster

1 hour ago, vogie said:

Everybody wants a deal, but not necessary on the hog tied terms that are being offered by Mr Barnier.

Mr Barnier is only the excellent  representing negotiator from 27 member states who give him the direction lines .....

Baiting post and replies have been remnoved

We need to make more jam.  If the UK can make more jam we will be seen as a force to be reckoned with.  Cut the jam deals with Europe.  Cut the jam trade with China.  It's time to get tough guys.

24 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

You were told in 2014 that decision wasn't  for Scotland to retain the pound or not  Scotland was told that decision would be made by Westminster

It is impossible to stop Scotland using the pound.

It is a fiat currency.

If you know different then post the evidence.

I will make a prediction for all you Remainers and Brexiteers and anyone else with a view on the matter. There will be a deal. The reason is simple - Biden.

 

First of all, Biden has strong Irish heritage and is an avid supporter of the Good Friday Agreement. Any scenario that impugns on that international agreement will never have his support. Second, he would prefer not to have to do parallel agreements with smaller entities - much better to do a deal with the entire EU. If the UK does a trade deal with the EU, they can be included in the overall deal that the USA will do with the EU.

 

So Boris knows that with Biden he either does a deal with the EU and ultimately gets a deal with the USA or he does not do a deal with the EU and gets no deal with the USA either. Now that would be a recipe for economic disaster for the UK that not even Boris can overlook. Of course there are other countries but they are far away. After Covid has drained the country's resources, the car industry is gone, food prices have gone through the roof and unemployment is hitting 20%, it is hard to generate the high tech export orientated industry to compete with the Asian tiger economies.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

It is impossible to stop Scotland using the pound.

It is a fiat currency.

If you know different then post the evidence.

If you talking about the Scottish pound  not linked or supported by the Bank of England you are correct however if your talking about the current Scottish pound which is linked and supported by the Bank of England you are incorrect

Remember Using another country's currency is dependence, not independence.

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

Currency. The goto argument for Unionists.

The question was answered at the time. We would carry on using the pound until we decided to change. 

Like El Salvador using the US dollar. Letting the Bank of England set your monetary policy until you scurry off to hide under the EUs skirt.

 

True independence for the barstool Bravehearts lol.

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Slogans are your thing, I’ll leave you to it.k

I like..."Land of hope and glory, mother of the free".......from the EU...????

Why all the discussions?....walk away....WTO is just as good for the UK, if not better ......no deal will be more damaging for the EU than it will be for the UK.....it is going to hurt them more than it hurst us.....and we have the Ivory Coast and Kenya already in the bag...oh!....and the Faroe Islands.....Do it...walk away.

Almost feel sorry for Johnson....he never signed up for all this....tough negotiations, covid pandemics, economy tanking, Rishi breathing down his neck .......it was all going to be the bright lights, international travel, lording it over everyone.....I say almost felt sorry....I then remembered he is just a third rate journalist and a Tory at that.