Negotiations between the European Commission and the UK government are continuing this week by videoconference and will resume in person when EU negotiator Michel Barnier’s quarantine is over and security conditions are met, the institution said on Monday 23 November.
For his part, Michel Barnier indicated on Twitter that technical discussions took place this weekend and that “fundamental divergences remain, but we are continuing to work hard for a deal”.
For its part, the European Parliament is getting impatient, as Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany), Chair of the Committee on International Trade, said on Twitter. The European Parliament, which could hold a final extraordinary session on 28 December to ratify an agreement, wants a text to start its work.
“We need a text. Otherwise, ratification and democratic scrutiny by the European Parliament will be a farce. The gambling of Boris Johnson has brought us where we are now. We won’t pay the price for that!”, said the German.
According to the British media, another call between the British Prime Minister and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is being prepared for the end of this week. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)