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UK, EU leaders eye trade deal progress
2020-12-10 
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Brussels, Belgium, Dec 9, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

A free-trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union became more likely ahead of scheduled talks at dinner on Wednesday between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the sides reached agreement on the best way to handle the Northern Ireland border issue, a British politician said.

British officials said they hoped political pressure from the top could break the logjam. The two leaders have just a few hours over a multicourse meal to unstick negotiations that are deadlocked on key aspects of the future relationship.

British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told Sky News he expects a "smoother glide-path "after the British government abandoned controversial elements of its proposed Internal Market Bill that would have opened the door to it breaking international law.

"Throughout this year, there have been intense talks between ourselves and the (EU's executive, the) European Commission in order to make sure we can resolve the issues on what's called the Northern Ireland protocol," he said.

Gove said the government initially wanted its Internal Market Bill to include a provision to ensure "Northern Ireland can be a secure part of the UK" after the transition period ends on Dec 31 and the UK fully leaves the EU.

But he said London now accepts the reestablishment of a harder border between the Republic of Ireland, which is a EU member, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, would be best avoided.

'Still a chance'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "there is still the chance of an agreement", but stressed that the EU would not compromise on its core principles.

Merkel told the German parliament that the bloc would "take a path without an … agreement if there are conditions from the British side that we can't accept".

The prospect of a harder border angered the EU because it ran contrary to the Withdrawal Agreement-the so-called divorce deal already agreed by London and Brussels.

Gove said the decision to abandon controversial UK legislation and replace it with the Northern Ireland protocol agreed with the EU should reduce tension during trade-deal negotiations.

The Guardian newspaper quoted Simon Coveney, the Republic of Ireland's foreign minister, saying: "Hopefully, this is a signal that the British government is in deal-making mood and we can now carry some momentum from this into the negotiations."

Reuters reported that Northern Ireland business groups welcomed the protocol.

Talks in search of a deal that ensures goods and services flow smoothly and without tariffs have continued ever since the UK left the bloc on Jan 31.

But they have become bogged down in a handful of areas, including the way in which an agreement should be policed, the degree of access EU fishing boats should have to UK waters, and the best way to ensure a level playing field for competing businesses on both sides.

If a trade deal is not found by Dec 31, the UK and EU will conduct business under the terms of the World Trade Organization, which experts said will lead to higher prices, job losses, and delays.

The BBC reported on Wednesday that Michel Barnier, the EU's top negotiator, told senior ministers during a briefing he now thinks a no-deal Brexit is the most likely outcome of the talks.

But the Financial Times said Johnson and von der Leyen will be hoping "positive momentum" from their commitment on the Northern Ireland border issue will "allow the negotiators to try and finish the job".

Agencies contributed to this story.

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