No Brexit trade deal yet as serious issues remain, British minister says

[snoop1130]

No Brexit trade deal yet as serious issues remain, British minister says

By Guy Faulconbridge and Gabriela Baczynska

 

FILE PHOTO: Flags of the Union Jack and European Union are seen ahead of the meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Brussels, Belgium December 9, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United Kingdom and the European Union have still not clinched a Brexit trade deal to avoid a turbulent split in just eight days time because of serious disagreements about competition and fishing, a British minister said on Wednesday.

 

The United Kingdom casts off into the unknown on Dec. 31 after a stormy 48-year liaison with the Franco-German led project which sought to bind the ruined nations of post-World War Two Europe into a global power.

 

Since formally exiting the EU on Jan. 31, the United Kingdom has been negotiating a free trade deal with the bloc in an attempt to ease its exit from the single market and customs union at the end of this year.

 

Thus far, no deal has been done and both sides have given an exhausting array of conflicting signals that indicate, variously, that a deal is imminent, that talks have far to go and that a disorderly no-trade deal exit could be on the cards.

 

"I'm still reasonably optimistic but there's no news to report to you this morning," British Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News amid speculation in London that a deal could be announced on Wednesday.

 

"There's still the same serious areas of disagreement whether that's on fisheries or the level playing field," he said. "But at the moment there isn't sufficient progress. It isn't a deal that the prime minister feels he can sign us up to."

 

Ultimately, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is grappling with a deepening COVID-19 outbreak and a border crisis at Europe's busiest truck port, will have to decide if the narrow deal on offer is worth signing up to.

 

Walking away might elicit applause from many Brexit supporters at home but would trigger severe trade disruption and end the EU divorce in acrimony.

 

An accord would ensure that the goods trade which makes up half of annual EU-UK commerce, worth nearly a trillion dollars in all, would remain free of tariffs and quotas.

 

DEAL TIME?

 

The EU is making a "final push" to strike a trade deal with Britain, although there are still deep rifts over fishing rights, chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday before meeting EU ambassadors in Brussels.

 

Barnier told the closed-door gathering that the UK's latest offer on sharing out the fish catch from British waters from 2021 was "totally unacceptable", according to EU diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

The sources said Britain has offered a 35% cut over three years in the value of the bloc's catch for demersal fish, like the sole, that live close to the sea floor or the shore.

 

But that would not cover pelagic fish like the mackerel that live in open waters, where the catch would be subject to annual negotiations.

 

EU sources also said there was no clarity on the crucial zone stretching six to 12 nautical miles from UK shores where many smaller French or Belgian vessels fish. The loss of such access could not be compensated in the open seas.

 

The European Union needs at least four days to carry out procedures ensuring any agreement is applied from Jan.1, EU diplomatic sources said, meaning a deal is needed by early next week to avoid trade ruptures.

 

"I can't imagine that we won't find a deal," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told the country's APA news agency in an interview on Tuesday.

 

"I would consider it absurd if, after years of divorce negotiations, the UK ultimately jumps ship without a parachute and we suddenly no longer have any contractual relations at all," Schallenberg added.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-23

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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---------------------------------------------

 

UPDATE:

Brexit trade deal may be imminent, senior EU source says

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1198130-no-brexit-trade-deal-yet-as-serious-issues-remain-british-minister-says/?do=findComment&comment=16107083

[darksidedog]

I am seriously tired of this miserable affair. Continued simple trade between the UK and the EU really should not have been that difficult.

Stunning that at the eleventh hour they still cannot resolve issues they have been working at for God knows how long.

While short term no deal would hurt the UK, and EU, I wonder how long Macron will have a job when French fishermen have zero access to the fish they rely on catching?

You have to hope some sanity finally pushes these two sides into a deal of some sort.

[Loiner]

39 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thus far, no deal has been done and both sides have given an exhausting array of conflicting signals that indicate, variously, that a deal is imminent, that talks have far to go....

Still looking like No Deal then. Or have you Remainers and Euros still got your hopes and dreams of capitulation?

[Golden Triangle]

Looks like we're cattle trucked then, standby for the pound to slide, how many years has this been going on ? Where's the oven ready deal that everyone was promised ?

 

I really have lost faith (never had much to start with) with all involved, what a very sorry, sad, state of affairs.

[welovesundaysatspace]

30 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Still looking like No Deal then. Or have you Remainers and Euros still got your hopes and dreams of capitulation?

Who was it again who promised he would hold all the cards and get the easiest deal in history to have his cake and eat it? That wasn’t remainers, right? ???? 

[welovesundaysatspace]

48 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I am seriously tired of this miserable affair. Continued simple trade between the UK and the EU really should not have been that difficult.

It was made pretty clear from the very beginning on. 

 

48 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I wonder how long Macron will have a job when French fishermen have zero access to the fish they rely on catching?

I guess that depends on either how much percentage they make of the total electorate or how much value to compensate them. It’s definitely negligible in the greater scheme of things. 

 

[Loiner]

5 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Who was it again who promised he would hold all the cards and get the easiest deal in history to have his cake and eat it? That wasn’t remainers, right? ???? 

We didn't Remain. We haven't Rejoined. We haven't surrendered. We will be out No Deal.

Who was it again that said we can't go it alone without the bigger EU who is the best negotiator? 

[Chomper Higgot]

56 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I am seriously tired of this miserable affair. Continued simple trade between the UK and the EU really should not have been that difficult.

Stunning that at the eleventh hour they still cannot resolve issues they have been working at for God knows how long.

While short term no deal would hurt the UK, and EU, I wonder how long Macron will have a job when French fishermen have zero access to the fish they rely on catching?

You have to hope some sanity finally pushes these two sides into a deal of some sort.

You assume French fishermen will have no access to the fish.

[Chomper Higgot]

41 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Still looking like No Deal then. Or have you Remainers and Euros still got your hopes and dreams of capitulation?

That cuts both ways, you’re pinning your hopes on no deal.

 

Let’s wait and see.

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 minute ago, Loiner said:

We didn't Remain. We haven't Rejoined. We haven't surrendered. We will be out No Deal.

You didn’t answer my question. ???? 

 

1 minute ago, Loiner said:

Who was it again that said we can't go it alone without the bigger EU who is the best negotiator? 

I don’t know, but so far you haven’t proved them wrong. 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, Loiner said:

We didn't Remain. We haven't Rejoined. We haven't surrendered. We will be out No Deal.

Who was it again that said we can't go it alone without the bigger EU who is the best negotiator? 

I have no idea who said that, but I’be pinned what you just said.

[Loiner]

36 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Who was it again who promised he would hold all the cards and get the easiest deal in history to have his cake and eat it? That wasn’t remainers, right? ???? 

Only people I've heard saying that are Remainers and Foreigners. They seem to think it has some secret meaning that we won't Leave the EU. Too late for them though.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Only people I've heard saying that are Remainers and Foreigners. They seem to think it has some secret meaning that we won't Leave the EU. Too late for them though.

Perhaps because Brexiteers are trying hard to forget it.

[candide]

19 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Only people I've heard saying that are Remainers and Foreigners. They seem to think it has some secret meaning that we won't Leave the EU. Too late for them though.

????

https://www.indy100.com/news/brexit-easy-nigel-farage-theresa-may-david-davis-boris-johnson-8846041

[sammieuk1]

If they release white smoke from number 10 at midnight on the 31st it means either a deal has been reached or Boris has set fire to his head preparing the oven ready one ???? 

[ourmanflint]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

I am seriously tired of this miserable affair. Continued simple trade between the UK and the EU really should not have been that difficult.

Stunning that at the eleventh hour they still cannot resolve issues they have been working at for God knows how long.

While short term no deal would hurt the UK, and EU, I wonder how long Macron will have a job when French fishermen have zero access to the fish they rely on catching?

You have to hope some sanity finally pushes these two sides into a deal of some sort.

Fishing is the last apparent sticking point, from what I have read, the UK want a reduction in EU access to UK waters of 80%, whereas the French, Spanish and Danish do not want to lose anything, ie they want 0% loss. 

Rumours are circling that a compromise of around 35% reduction may be agreed by both sides but the French from what I understand are less than happy about this.

[Loiner]

Four years ago. Lots of coulds, shoulds and maybes. They probably thought the EU would negotiate in good faith.

Only Remainers and Foreigners squawks since then. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

3 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Four years ago. Lots of coulds, shoulds and maybes. They probably thought the EU would negotiate in good faith.

You can bitch and moan and deflect and get defensive as you like: doesn’t change that you miserably failed at what you promised: no FTA, no cake, especially not the easiest one in history.

(Not that anyone other than your own lot ever believed your promises.)

[Loiner]

15 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

You can bitch and moan and deflect and get defensive as you like: doesn’t change that you miserably failed at what you promised: no FTA, no cake, especially not the easiest one in history.

(Not that anyone other than your own lot ever believed your promises.)

I rather think the bitching and moaning is coming from the EU direction, lead by Macron wanting his cake and eating it. It's not even his cake - all in UK waters! It's seconded by you Remainers and Foreigners, who again have failed to prevent Brexit or our transition to freedom. 
 

[Loiner]

10 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

You can bitch and moan

Sorry that should be bitch and re-moan. 
It's what you people do. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

3 minutes ago, Loiner said:

I rather think the bitching and moaning is coming from the EU direction, lead by Macron wanting his cake and eating it. It's not even his cake - all in UK waters! It's seconded by you Remainers and Foreigners, who again have failed to prevent Brexit or our transition to freedom. 
Got anything else you want to bitch and moan about?

Who again made the big promises and failed? Not the EU. Not France. Not the remainers. Not any foreigners. ???? 

[Loiner]

11 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Who again made the big promises and failed? Not the EU. Not France. Not the remainers. Not any foreigners. ???? 

 

Well none of your EU promises/threats have not come to fruition yet. Threats to end talks last Sunday, Legal threats, Veto threats, Illegal fishing threats, grounding British flights, blah blah.
The EU and the French, Macon in particular - all mouth and trousers.  

[welovesundaysatspace]

32 minutes ago, Loiner said:

Well none of your EU promises/threats have not come to fruition yet. Threats to end talks last Sunday, Legal threats, Veto threats, Illegal fishing threats, grounding British flights, blah blah.
The EU and the French, Macon in particular - all mouth and trousers.  

Only Brexiteers made big promises to their people (and failed). Not the EU. Not Macron. Not the Remainers. Ouch. It was so nice in lala land. 

[Loiner]

1 hour ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Only Brexiteers made big promises to their people (and failed). Not the EU. Not Macron. Not the Remainers. Ouch. It was so nice in lala land. 

The biggest promise of all was for Brexit.  Within about seven weeks of election Boris had Brexit done and we were formally out. 

Only eleven months after that, next week, we will be free of the Transition Period too.  Brexit Done. 

Welcome to my world, while you remain languishing in EU subjugation. 

[candide]

3 hours ago, Loiner said:

Four years ago. Lots of coulds, shoulds and maybes. They probably thought the EU would negotiate in good faith.

Only Remainers and Foreigners squawks since then. 

It's not like UK had been EU member for decades and perfectly knew how it works! ????

[Meat Pie 47]

4 hours ago, Loiner said:

We didn't Remain. We haven't Rejoined. We haven't surrendered. We will be out No Deal.

Who was it again that said we can't go it alone without the bigger EU who is the best negotiator? 

Good by

[GrandPapillon]

so where is that deal? ????

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

so where is that deal? ????

7 hours ago, Loiner said:

We didn't Remain. We haven't Rejoined. We haven't surrendered. We will be out No Deal.

Who was it again that said we can't go it alone without the bigger EU who is the best negotiator? 

Brexit Negotiators Reach Outline of Historic Trade Accord

Brexit Negotiators Reach Outline of Historic Trade Accord - Bloomberg

[webfact]

UPDATE:

 

Brexit trade deal may be imminent, senior EU source says

By Gabriela Baczynska

 

FILE PHOTO: Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick arrives on Downing Street, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, June 9, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A senior European diplomat told Reuters on Wednesday that a Brexit trade deal could be imminent, raising hopes that Britain and the European Union could avoid a turbulent economic rupture in just eight days.

 

There was no confirmation from Britain that a deal was about to be struck; the two sides have given a dizzying array of conflicting signals over recent days, and another EU official said: "It could still go either way."

 

Since formally leaving the EU on Jan. 31, the United Kingdom has been negotiating a free trade deal with the bloc in an attempt to ease its exit from the single market and customs union at the end of this year.

 

An accord would ensure that the goods trade that makes up half of annual EU-UK commerce, worth nearly a trillion dollars in all, remains free of tariffs and quotas.

 

The senior diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said EU member states would need to approve a provisional application of the deal with effect from Jan. 1 because there was not enough time for the European Parliament to ratify it.

 

EU member states have started to prepare their procedure to implement any deal from Jan. 1, three diplomatic sources in the bloc told Reuters.

 

One EU diplomat said the European Council, which represents the member states in Brussels, had started preparations to enable a "provisional application", or fast-track implementation.

 

The European Commission, the EU executive body, declined to comment.

 

Britain for its part said that two significant issues - fishing and competition - still remained to be resolved and that there had not been sufficient progress for a deal. The Commission declined to comment.

 

Sterling jumped more than 1% against the dollar on perceived prospects of a deal while bond yields rose, and prices fell, in Britain, Europe and the United States.

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were in close contact and were expected to hold another call on Wednesday.

 

DEAL TIME?

The United Kingdom casts off into the unknown on Dec. 31 after a stormy 48-year liaison with the Franco-German-led project that sought to bind the ruined nations of post-World War Two Europe into a global power.

 

The scale of potential Brexit disruption has been laid bare since France closed its borders to Britain for 48 hours citing a new coronavirus variant, stranding thousands of furious European truckers in southern England and disrupting food supplies.

 

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the gap on how much fish EU boats could catch in British waters was still wide.

 

But he told the national broadcaster RTE: "I think, given the progress that has been made, that there should be a deal ... A 'no-deal' would be an appalling shock to the economic system on top of COVID-19."

 

Ultimately, Johnson, who is grappling with both a deepening COVID-19 outbreak and a border crisis at Dover, Europe's busiest truck port, will have to decide if the narrow deal on offer is worth signing up to.

 

Walking away might elicit applause from many Brexit supporters at home but would trigger severe trade disruption and end the EU divorce in acrimony.

 

"There's still the same serious areas of disagreement, whether that's on fisheries or the level playing field," British Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News. "But at the moment there isn't sufficient progress."

 

The "level playing field" is trade jargon for ensuring fair competition. EU leaders have long feared that after Brexit, the United Kingdom could ease regulation to undercut competitors and thus gouge EU market share. Enforcement is a key issue.

 

Beside competition, the two sides are haggling over just how much EU fishing boats can catch in Britain's waters: essentially how many sole, sand eels and mackerel EU boats can haul in per year, and when and how to renew such agreements.

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Jihn Chalmers, Kate Holton, Sujata Rao, Elizabeth Piper, Gabriela Baczynska, Michael Shields, Padraic Halpin; editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-24

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[nauseus]

10 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Yep. “Remainers and Foreigners”. ???? 

 

Hopeful optimism but no actual promises or guarantees of any trade deal (can, can, should, could, could). Also remember that May was farting about for 3 years.  

 

Their real mistake was to forget and underestimate the inherent arrogance and influence of the executive of this club, which we were unfortunate enough to get pushed into nearly 50 years ago.