France dangles veto threat as ‘difficult’ Brexit trade talks drag on
- France has been particularly vocal about the EU wish to retain access to British fishing waters
- Britain left the bloc formally at the end of January, but is still in the EU single market until December 31
France warned on Friday it could veto an unappetising post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and Britain, as hopes dwindle of an imminent breakthrough in negotiations.
“If there was a deal and it wasn’t good and it didn’t – according to our evaluation – correspond to our interests, we would oppose it,” French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune said.
“Every country has a right to veto,” he told Europe 1 radio, while stressing that Paris wants a deal.
France has been particularly vocal about the EU wish to retain access to British fishing waters under a future deal – an emotionally charged issue in coastal communities on both sides of the Channel.
British and EU negotiators representing the bloc’s 27 member states are running out of time to reach an agreement that would cover terms of trade, but also police and justice cooperation, and social security arrangements, to name a few.