According to a number of sources, Michel Barnier, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, told national ambassadors to the EU on Wednesday 2 December that the negotiations between the European Commission and the UK on their post-Brexit relationship have not yet been successful in resolving the continuing differences over the level playing field, fisheries and governance.
Discussions to overcome these obstacles will therefore continue over the next few days, but some Member States have also made it clear that, when these discussions end, they would rather wait a few more months than sign a bad agreement. “We’d rather have a good deal later than a bad deal too soon”, said one diplomat.
If that turns out to be the case, the negotiations may well continue in 2021. The Commission will therefore quickly need to propose new measures to prepare those sectors for a no-deal outcome that will be affected by a potential lack of agreement on 1 January but are currently not covered for the eventuality. “That’s what we asked for”, the diplomat added.
Another source said that Barnier’s outlook was “neither pessimistic nor optimistic” on Wednesday, but that he said that both sides were approaching the moment of truth.
Barnier also had to provide reassurance that he would defend the EU’s interests: some countries have been expressing the fear for a number of days that the search for a compromise would harm the EU side, particularly with regard to fisheries.
According to RTE, the Irish television broadcaster, Barnier told the ambassadors that the discussions might be prejudiced if the United Kingdom passes its Finance Bill next week. The legislation might give the British government the power to breach the terms of the withdrawal agreement.
The EU negotiator also briefed MEPs during the morning. Parliamentary sources confirmed that the issues of a no-deal outcome, even if only for a short period at the start of 2021, and of negotiations continuing next year have been raised. The European Parliament is equally clear that, without an agreement at the end of another week of negotiations, “there will be no deal”, as the Parliament will be unable to ratify it.
With regard to the substance of the negotiations, Barnier confirmed that difficulties remain with the non-regression clause, the level playing field and fisheries.
London’s exploitation of fisheries for political purposes poses a problem: there has so far been no agreement on the compromise measures proposed on fisheries because the United Kingdom is still demanding a share that the EU does not find acceptable. And Barnier is reported to have said that, without a “fair agreement on the distribution of fishing quotas, there is a real risk of ending up without a general agreement”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)