Never say never when negotiating with the European Union, says UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as London and Brussels are engaged in last-minute talks over the future of their trade relationship post-Brexit.

He noted that London would need to see “substantial movement” by Sunday – the day picked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as a final deadline for a Brexit deal. At the same time, the top diplomat said that real progress needs to be made for the negotiations to continue beyond the Sunday deadline.

Raab has recognised that if the two sides fail to reach an agreement, there will be “bumps along the road”, including potential changes in food prices.

According to the foreign secretary, significant differences remain, mainly around fisheries and certain regulatory requirements, but there’s clearly scope to continue the talks. He, however, emphasised that Britain was not going to “sacrifice basic points of democratic principle” in order to get a deal.

He went on to note that irrespective of the differences, “movement needs to happen” on both issues, fishing quotas and level playing field, by Sunday. Regarding the latter, he noted, the European bloc has of late hardened its position.

During a “lively” discussion on Wednesday, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed that a firm decision should be taken by Sunday concerning the future of the Brexit talks, despite “very large gaps” between the UK and the EU. Von der Leyen later took to Twitter to say that while the parties “gained a clear understanding of each others’ positions, they remain far apart”.

Earlier in the day, Johnson addressed MPs about the prospects of post-Brexit arrangements with the EU, asserting that “a good deal is still there to be done”. The prime minister thundered that no British PM would sign up to the demands the European Union is “currently insisting on”, adding that while there is a trade deal to be done, the country would equally prosper without one.

“Our friends in the EU are currently insisting that if they pass a new law in the future with which we in this country do not comply … then they want the automatic right … to punish us and to retaliate”, he said in parliament.

While the post-Brexit trading and governance arrangements remain in limbo, despite heated talks in London, last week, the British side reportedly accused Brussels of revising their conditions at the eleventh hour, which, officials said, would certainly further threaten any potential compromise.

In light of the tight time framework still allocated for a deal to arrive – before the transition period expires on 31 December – concerns have arisen that the sides might enter the new year without an agreement.

A new accord will have to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states and European parliaments, including Britain’s by 31 December. What’s hampering the negotiations, as per the EU and a number of British officials, is the Internal Market Bill, which Johnson introduced in September. It proposes rolling back some of the commitments on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland – something that has been deemed as violating international law.

Major Stumbling Blocks

The main sticking points yet to be resolved are fisheries – a totemic issue for the UK and France among other member states, governance, and the specifics of level-playing field conditions to guarantee fair market play.

In terms of fishing rules, the EU is striving for maximum access for its boats to continue operating in UK waters, where they currently catch about £600 million worth of fish every year. Yet, Britain insists the waters washing the country are sovereign and EU member states should negotiate fishing quotas with London annually.
The level playing field is all about rules on fair competition for billions of pounds of business, now and in the coming years. While the EU wants the UK to stick rather closely to EU rules on things like workers’ rights, the environmental regulations that companies have to follow, and state aid, Britain insists that the whole point of Brexit was to break free from European norms.

Another issue on the agenda is how the rules of the deal will be enforced in the future and what measures will be taken if one side breaks them. The EU has been rooting for powers to be granted to the bloc to retaliate against the UK violating the norms in one area, by hitting back in another – for instance, slapping tariffs or taxes where it thinks they might cripple most.

Ukraine

On December 10, 2020, the new, free from gender stereotypes online medium Fight Like a Girl was launched in Ukraine. It aims to equip young women and girls with useful tips on legal and sexual security and physical self-defense against gender-based violence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Its launch marks the beginning of a dedicated campaign that will roll out fifteen videos in social media through December 2020 and January 2021.

“Gender-based and domestic violence are human rights violations. Gender stereotypes fuel the continuous existence of this plight. Equipping young people, notably girls and young women against violence, and giving them tools to dismantle stereotypes is key to a more democratic, safer and more prosperous future. There could not be a better name for this campaign than #fightlikeagirl and the EU is happy support UN Women, UNFPA and Gender Stream as representatives of Ukrainian civil society in its implementation”, said Martin Schroeder, Head of the Local and Human Development Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

The campaign is the part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which takes place annually from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, till 10 December, Human Rights Day.

The project Fight Like a Girl launches fifteen entertaining explanatory videos that will debunk stereotypes on women and girls and teach the audience how to identify different forms of gender-based violence and understand some forms of cybercrimes that affect women and girls. Consent to sex, sexual security during COVID-19 pandemic, understanding toxic relationships will bring up and explain essential topics for girls and young women. The series of videos on self-defense, created in partnership with the National Police of Ukraine, will teach women and girls how to respond to potential attacks of an abuser and ensure safe escape.

The campaign is produced by the NGO Gender Stream, a grassroots women’s rights initiative from Dnipro, and UN Women in Ukraine. It speaks in a friendly and fun voice of a trusted peer and friend on a Instagram account @FLG_UA, and promotes the hashtags #бийсяякдівчина #fightlikeagirl.

In a series of 15 videos, the audience will hear the voices of Ukrainian influencers:

Stanislav Korolev, musician, member of the band “Yuko”;
Oleksandra Gontar, journalist of the Toronto Television YouTube project and poet;
Volodymyr Beglov, Head of the Human Rights Education Center in Lviv;
Natalia Shevchuk, Director General of the Social Film and Advertising Festival;
Olga Zhukovtsova, actress of the Women’s Quartal;
Katro Zauber, Ukrainian DJ
Vitaliy Zhadan, tactical training instructor, National Police of Ukraine.

“I hope that the project Fight like a girl will reach many women and girls, and it will empower them to change their lives. In a society where you do not feel protected, it is vital to finally try to create security for yourself (as much as possible)”, – said Oleksandra Gontar, TV host and participant of the project.

Background information:

In Ukraine and worldwide, gender-based violence is widespread and systematic, gaining even more momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half (49%) of women in Ukraine say they have experienced sexual harassment. Under quarantine, the number of registered domestic violence cases rose to over 54%[1], and the number of calls to the National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence doubled[2].

The campaign was produced in the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA. The videos were produced with the financial support of the European Union. Their contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

For further information, please contact Narmina Strishenets, Communication and Advocacy Analyst, UN Women Ukraine: [email protected] or +38(050) 425-79-30.

[1] National Police Statistics as of 9 months, 2020 vs 2019

[2] UNFPA, 2020