Potential for a Brexit trade deal is fading; talks between Johnson and EU Commission President ended without a decision

Last updated Dec 10, 2020

DUBLIN: Brussels talks between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ended without any indication of progress on the post-Brexit trade agreement.

With the resumption of negotiations, hopes were high that an agreement could be reached. Officials said the move to reach an agreement would continue in the coming days, but with only a few days left until the end of the transition period, no miracles are expected.

More than three hours of talks between British Prime Minister Johnson and Dr. von der Leyen ended without any progress. The discussion focused on three contentious issues, including fisheries.

We had a lively & interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues.

We understand each other’s positions. They remain far apart.

The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend. pic.twitter.com/jG0Mfg35YX
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 9, 2020

It was hoped that high-level political discussions would give new impetus to the issue, which has been embroiled in issues including fisheries rights and competition laws. But there was no change of position from either side during the three-hour long meeting.

The British Prime Minister’s office said the deadline for reaching the agreement was set for Sunday. The office clarified that it would be known then whether the agreement would be reached or not.