UK and EU still in trade deal dispute

There are still significant differences in talks on the UK-European Union trade deal, said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday after a phone call.

They also assured that the talks would be continued next week in London.

"The Prime Minister assessed that while some progress had been made in recent talks, there were still significant differences in many areas, including the so-called equal opportunities and fisheries. The Prime Minister and the Chair agreed that their negotiating teams would continue their talks in London next week, starting Monday, to redouble efforts to reach an agreement. They have agreed to stay in personal contact on the negotiations," Boris Johnson's office stated.

Von der Leyen assessed the situation in a similar way.

"Some progress has been made, but there are still big differences, especially in terms of equal opportunities and fisheries. Our teams will continue to work hard next week. We will stay in close contact in the days ahead," she wrote on Twitter.

The main negotiators on both sides, David Frost and Michel Barnier spoke about the big differences on Wednesday evening, after another round of talks. They indicated that the points of contention were invariably fisheries, competition rules, and the method of resolving future disputes.

No agreement before December 31, 2020, when the post-Brexit transition period ends, would mean that, from next year, trade between the UK and the EU will be governed by the general rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), i.e. customs duties, quantitative amounts, and other barriers.

(PAP)