Brexit talks set to finish without agreement as deadline looms

The newest spherical of talks between the UK and European Union over their future relationship is about to complete with out settlement, with either side caught after every week of constructing little progress.

Officials are nonetheless far aside on essential points forward of a key deadline on the finish of the month, and the tense environment hasn’t improved considerably, in response to folks acquainted with the matter.

The failure to slim the hole between the UK and EU positions will add to stress for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to intervene immediately to interrupt the impasse after they maintain talks later this month. EU officers hope then to steer Johnson to compromise — however that could be “wishful thinking” within the phrases of the prime minister’s spokesman.

The two sides have made “no real progress,” Germany’s ambassador to the bloc, Michael Clauss, mentioned Thursday. He warned that the post-Brexit deliberations may now drag on by October, spelling months of uncertainty for companies and customers.

“Is a deal possible? Yes, definitely,” Clauss advised a web-based occasion Thursday organized by the Brussels-based European Policy Centre. “But I think it also means that the UK needs to have a more realistic approach,” he mentioned. Britain “cannot have full sovereignty and at the same time full access to the internal market.”

The two sides have clashed over what measures will probably be wanted to make sure a stage aggressive enjoying discipline between the 2 sides in addition to over the EU’s demand to have continued entry to UK fishing waters, that are among the many most fertile in Europe.

Johnson has mentioned he received’t accede to Brussels’ calls for to enroll to among the bloc’s rules after Brexit, one thing the EU insists is a crimson line for any deal. Earlier within the week, Downing Street dismissed experiences that Johnson was able to compromise on giving EU boats entry to UK waters.

There are simply weeks left till a vital June 30 deadline by when the UK must resolve if it will ask to increase the negotiations past the tip of this 12 months.

So far, Johnson has repeatedly dominated out in search of further time and has warned that if no vital progress is made by the tip of the month, he might stroll away from the negotiating desk and put together as a substitute to go away the EU single market and customs union and not using a new commerce settlement in place.

That would see pricey tariffs imposed on items traded between the 2 sides and depart companies grappling with further paperwork.

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Clauss warned that the post-Brexit negotiations may nonetheless occupy a lot of the EU’s political consideration in September and October — successfully the final date a deal might be signed and nonetheless be applied in time for the year-end.

“This is a must-do,” he mentioned. “We work under the assumption the UK isn’t going to ask for an extension. That means a deal needs to be struck in the next six months.”