Boris Johnson ‘optimistic’ on Brexit deal and talks with EU chief

The British PM says he is ‘pretty optimistic’ a Brexit deal is still possible. He had a talk with the EU chief on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 10 Downing Street last January. Picture: Getty Images

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday asked their negotiators to “work intensively” to overcome differences to secure a post-Brexit free trade deal.

The two leaders spoke via video-link after the latest negotiations between London and Brussels — the last scheduled round following months of talks — ended on Friday with both sides saying significant obstacles to an agreement remained.

“They instructed their chief negotiators to work intensively in order to try to bridge those gaps,” Mr Johnson’s office said, noting they had “agreed to speak on a regular basis on this issue”.

“They endorsed the assessment of both chief negotiators that progress had been made in recent weeks but that significant gaps remained, notably but not only in the areas of fisheries, the level playing field, and governance,” the statement said.

Britain formally left the European Union in January but has remained bound by most of the bloc’s rules during a transition phase that ends on December 31.

British and EU negotiators said on Friday the months of discussions about a future trade deal remained deadlocked on key areas, with London urging Brussels to give ground to avoid a damaging “no-deal” at the end of the year.

Both sides have pinpointed a European summit on October 15 as the latest an agreement could be reached for it to be ratified in time for it take effect at the end of December.

Mr Johnson on Friday told The Daily Telegraph that the prospects of a year-end deal to avoid an abrupt Brexit separation “are very good if everybody just exercises some common sense and looks at the deal that is there to be done”.

The comments came ahead of the videoconference with Ms von der Leyen to take stock of progress made in the latest round of talks.

Ms von der Leyen has already warned against a deal “at any price”. “This is so difficult, but overall where there is a will there is a way. I think we should intensify the negotiations,” she told reporters after meeting leaders of the 27-member bloc.

After the ninth round of talks in the tortuous process broke up in Brussels, with renewed commitments to find a way out of the impasse, there was clear acknowledgment the clock was ticking.

Despite indicating there were signs of agreement in various areas, UK negotiator David Frost warned disagreements over competition rules and fishing may be “impossible” to overcome without the EU giving ground.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she believed a deal was still possible, though she said that the next days would be crucial.

“As long as negotiations continue, I am optimistic,” she said. But she could “not announce a breakthrough as a matter of course either. That will be decided in the next few days”.

The von der Leyen and Johnson call also followed the launch of legal action by Brussels in response to the British government’s attempt to overturn parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

On Tuesday, British MPs backed a bill to regulate the UK’s internal market from January 1, when Britain completes its post-Brexit transition period and leaves the EU single market and customs union.

Mr Johnson has pushed on with the legislation despite concerns in his own party and a warning from Washington that it puts Irish peace at risk.

AFP