UK criticises EU for ‘lack of movement’ on key issues in Brexit trade talks
The UK government has again slammed Brussels negotiators for their failure to compromise on key issues, signalling little progress in the post-Brexit trade negotiations as the third round of talks near a close.
The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost attended cabinet today, telling members that the EU has not budged on some of the most contested areas of talks, such as EU fishing access to UK waters.
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman today said the EU “has asked far more from the UK than they have for other foreign countries where they have reached free trade agreements”.
The UK and EU are having the third round of negotiations this week in a bid to ratify a post-Brexit free trade deal by 31 December.
There is just one more weeklong negotiating round on 1 June until a break in talks will allow both sides to assess progress.
Frost’s team have said that if there is no movement on from the EU on some of the most contested areas – fishing policy and competition regulations – then Britain will stop negotiating and prepare to leave the transition period without a deal.
Brussels is demanding to maintain the same fishing access to British waters for its member states as when the UK was in the EU.
The EU is also demanding the UK signs up to a so-called “level playing field” of regulations to ensure British businesses do not have a long-term competitive advantage.
In return, the UK would be able to trade with the EU on a zero-tariff basis.
However, Frost has said repeatedly the position of the EU on these two areas is not tenable.
The EU also want the deal to be a part of a single overarching agreement that can be regulated by the European Court of Justice, which the UK has said is unacceptable.
Speaking to a group of journalists, the Prime Minister’s spokesman today said: “[The EU] are still asking for the same access to our waters…and for the UK to automatically follow EU decisions like on workers rights ,even though we have much higher standards than EU.
“Cabinet agreed we will not give up our rights to European states, especially when they’ve shown in cases like Canada like that these controls are not necessary.”
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said after the second round of talks that that there could be no progress on fishing policy in until the UK outlines its own new proposal.
“The EU will not agree to any future economic partnership that does not include a balanced, sustainable and long-term solution on fisheries,” he said.
“That should be crystal clear to the UK.”
It comes as the Downing Street admitted today that there would be checks on some goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland once the UK leaves the transition period with the EU.
Under the withdrawal agreement, Northern Ireland will remain in a customs union with the EU to allow an open border on the island of Ireland as per the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
Downing Street said today that it meant there would need to be checks on agrifood and live animals when they are moved between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.