"Time is short. Fundamental divergences still remain, but we are
continuing to work hard for a deal," said the EU negotiator,
Michel Barnier.
Trade negotiators resumed talks on the shape of the new EU-UK
relationship after a post-Brexit standstill agreement expires on
Dec. 31.
As in the last few weeks, the focus was still squarely on
dividing up fishing quotas and ensuring fair competition for
companies, including on regulating state aid.
Face-to-face talks, suspended last week after a member of the EU
delegation tested positive for the new coronavirus, will resume
in London "when it is safe to do so", said a source who follows
Brexit, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Another source, an EU official, added: "The differences on the
level playing field and fisheries remain major."
The British Sun newspaper reported at the weekend that the
negotiators were looking at a clause that would allow a
renegotiation of any new fishing arrangement in several years'
time.
An EU diplomat, a third source who spoke under condition of
anonymity, confirmed that such an idea was under discussion, but
added that the bloc insisted on linking it to the overall trade
agreement, meaning that fishing rights could only be
renegotiated together with the rest of trade rules.
"We need to uphold the link between fishing and trade rules,
this comes in a package," the source said.
The EU official said annual renegotiation of fishing quotas was
a 'no-go' for the 27-nation bloc. Fisheries are a particularly
sensitive issue for France.
Thierry Breton, the French representative on the European
Commission, the EU executive, said last week: "We shouldn't have
in the Brexit deal revision clauses in one or two years, when
everything would change again ... We won't let that happen. We
need to give our entrepreneurs predictability."
(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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