British and EU Negotiations

Brussels, Dec 16 (AFP/APP): British and EU negotiators were closing in Wednesday on a deal to oversee fair competition in a post-Brexit trade deal, but remain deeply divided overfishing.

Talks continued in Brussels into the night, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had said “the next days are going to be decisive”.

In London, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “There’s every opportunity, every hope, that I have that our friends and partners across the Channel will see sense and do a deal.” Many supposed deadlines have already been missed, as the EU chief admitted.

But, with two weeks until Britain leaves the EU single market, time is finally running out.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose government holds the rotating EU presidency, said she had news of progress in the talks “but no breakthrough yet”.

Merkel said negotiations would continue “until the end of this week to see if a solution can still be found”.

Any trade deal reached by EU negotiator Michel Barnier and UK counterpart David Frost will have to be approved by the UK and EU parliaments.

Special sessions may have to be held over Christmas and New Year.

The British parliament is due to go into recess on Thursday, but a UK government spokesman said it could be recalled within 48 hours to endorse any deal.

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