Trade negotiations drag on as British politicians slam Brexit preparations
- EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier said the two sides are now making their ‘last try’ for a deal
- Barnier warned that the slippery question of fish is blocking progress with the deal
The wrangling over a post-Brexit trade pact between the EU and Britain continued on Sunday, the day the European Parliament set as the last opportunity for the agreement to be reached.
Fears are growing that the sides will be unable to break the impasse, potentially resulting in Britain‘s chaotic year-end crash out of the EU’s single market and customs union.
It‘s been over four years since Britain voted to leave the EU. It formally left at the end of January but remains in the single market as part of a transition period until the end of this year. Their trade ties are tightly intertwined.
If no deal is clinched, disruptive tariffs and customs checks will be reinstated, perhaps massively snarling up traffic on the border. Anxiety is also high over a potential shortage in essential goods.
As the talks continued through the weekend, British media quoted government circles in London as saying on Sunday that Brussels still needed a “substantial shift” in its position.