The European Union’s top negotiator Michel Barnier, has suggested that UK-EU talks on a Brexit withdrawal deal are approaching a crunch moment, saying that “we are not far from the take-it-or-leave-it moment,” according to The Daily Mail.

The EU diplomat arrived in London on the evening of Friday, 27 November, in a rushed bid to hash out a deal on future trade relations between the UK and the EU before Britain’s transition period finishes at the end of 2020. The UK is on the same trading terms with Brussels since it left the bloc in January 2019 as part of the agreed transition period.

Adding urgency to the talks, this is the first time that Mr Barnier has been able to meet with the UK’s Brexit negotiator, Lord David Frost, after he went into self-isolation following a member of his team catching Covid-19.

The window for reaching an agreement between both sides is fast closing.

A failure to do so by January 1, when the UK’s Brexit transition period officially ends, will mean that the UK leaves on no-deal terms, and will likely deliver serious economic consequences to both sides. In a Friday tweet, Mr Barnier noted that the “same significant divergences persist,” particularly on the issues of fishing and fair trade rules.

David Frost said he will continue to push for a deal while the possibility for one remains. However, he cautioned that the agreement must respect UK national sovereignty, including the UK’s right to exercise control over its own immigration policies and fishing waters. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was largely up to the European side to make significant steps toward a deal, saying that the UK was prepared to move forward even in the event that discussions collapse.

The “likelihood of a deal is very much determined by our friends and partners in the EU,” BoJo has been quoted as telling reporters.

The main bone of contention holding up the progression of talks is Brussels’ demand that it continue to be allowed access to a large share of Britain’s fishing waters. Boris Johnson has reportedly said that he wants to see EU access to fish catches in British waters cut by 80% while the EU has said it will only accept a 15-18% cut. Another sticking point is that Brussels has said that it wants to be able to apply trade penalties to either side if one violates agreed trading standards. Boris Johnson however, has said that his government refuses to be bound by rules made in Brussels.

The pressure to wrap talks up only continues to mount as the days pass. There is some concern among those hoping for a deal that, even if one were to be reached that was pleasing to both sides, it would be difficult for the EU parliament to get it ratified in time due to the tight deadline. Therefore, proposals have been made to push it through the legislative process in Brussels. One would be for the deal to be written only in English, however France has dismissed this as “sacrificing legal certainty.” Another proposal would reportedly see the EU parliament hold an emergency session between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Reportedly, a decision is yet to be made on which proposal shall be pursued.

Michel Barnier has told MEPs he is prepared for a further four days of make-or-break Brexit negotiations, with growing scepticism among EU member states about the utility of further talks.

Having spent a week in isolation after a member of the bloc’s team tested positive for coronavirus, Barnier and his staff resumed face-to-face negotiations in London on Saturday morning.

Barnier told MEPs in a private meeting on Friday that he would work through the weekend and then “maybe one or two more days” in a last-ditch attempt to bridge the large gaps between the sides.

EU sources said there was a growing feeling that the lack of progress and the need to prepare businesses for the repercussions of a no-deal British departure from the EU made it unwise for negotiations to continue beyond then.

With just 34 days before the end of the transition period, Barnier has been advised by officials in the European parliament that arranging for sufficient scrutiny and a consent vote by MEPs before the end of the year would be difficult without a deal by Wednesday.

Priti Patel, the UK home secretary, said on Saturday: “As a government, we’re very clear in our commitment to make sure that those talks continue so that we can get to a conclusive end.

“But at the same time we are preparing in the way in which our country would expect us to prepare for the end of transition – and from the Home Office and every aspect of government we are continuing while those negotiations carry on.”

An extraordinary sitting of the EU chamber has been pencilled in for 28 December, as first revealed by the Guardian. A final result would be announced at 6.30pm, central European time.

There is some doubt over whether the EU would be willing to take the blame for a no-deal exit by walking away if this week fails to provide a breakthrough.

There is the “worst-case” option of the deal being provisionally applied and a vote being held by the European parliament after the end of the year, if further time appears useful, but that is not currently being considered.

The European parliament has insisted, with Barnier’s backing, that it will have the “last word” on the trade and security treaty.

The negotiations remain stuck on the level of access that will be granted to European fishing fleets in UK waters, and the means by which either side will be able to hit back if the other seeks to gain a competitive advantage by diverging on environmental, labour or social standards.

Barnier expressed his dismay to EU ambassadors on Friday that the UK was still claiming that the EU-Canada trade deal offered precedent for its negotiating demands.

He described progress on “level playing field” provisions as “ephemeral”, with one week’s progress constantly at risk of being undone by the next.

In the political declaration on the future relationship, both sides committed to “uphold the common high standards” in the UK and the EU “at the end of the transition period in the areas of state aid, competition, social and employment standards, environment, the climate crisis and relevant tax matters”.

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p class=”css-38z03z”>The UK has agreed to non-regression on standards but it does not want EU law to be the baseline. That would introduce EU concepts and the European court of justice into the treaty. The two sides are therefore locked in talks about how to define their current common high standards.

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p class=”css-38z03z”>The EU is also seeking a “ratchet clause” to ensure that as either side develops its standards over time, the other side faces consequences should it choose not to follow with equivalent regulations.

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p class=”css-38z03z”>The negotiators are working on a model where if one side raises standards, the other must consider adopting them. The EU then wants an independent panel to judge if one side’s refusal to move in tandem is creating a competitive advantage. They would then set a remedy. But the UK is resisting anything that amounts to Brussels having the right of prior approval on domestic legislation.

The scale of the difference between the two sides on fisheries was laid bare after Barnier told MEPs on Friday that the UK was seeking to repatriate 80% of the EU’s current catch in British seas, described as an “outsized” volume.

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p class=”css-38z03z”>The EU has so far only offered to return between 15% to 18%, an offer described by British negotiators as “derisory”.

“The EU should definitively apply sanctions, and not only discuss them in the corridors, with clear Council Conclusions during the EU Summit on 10-11 December”, Papadimoulis said, adding that “it is highly likely, if there is no concrete reaction by the EU, that Turkey will continue its aggressive tactics”.

The lawmaker opined that sanctions on Turkey were long due, given that Erdogan has remained unresponsive to all previous warnings by Brussels and continued the policy of “unilateral provocations, against EU member-states, mainly Greece and Cyprus, in violation of international law and territorial rights and jeopardising regional peace and stability.”

Specifying what sort of sanctions he believes would be most efficient, Papadimoulis listed restrictions on energy, trade, specific persons, companies and banks, adding that “even an arms embargo should be on the table.”

The European Parliament vice president thinks that Erdogan has sought to divide-and-rule the EU, exploiting the differences among member states, while pursuing his own agendas with the Islamic world, the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Papadimoulis’ opinion is that sanctions would be a way for the EU to send a “crystal clear message” that it stands in unity with member states and, at the same time, that Turkey would be welcomed if it reverses to a constructive regional policy, respect for human rights and necessary reforms.

Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean have been brewing for many months around Turkey’s exploration for gas in waters that Cyprus and Greece claim as their exclusive economic zones. The situation was exacerbated this summer, as Turkey sent the Oruc Reis ship, accompanied by a fleet of military vessels, to drill in what Greece considers its continental shelf.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Turkey’s capital of Ankara has opened an investigation into the interception and inspection of Turkish ship Roseline A carried out by the European Union (EU)’s Operation IRINI.

The prosecution office announced in a statement on Friday that although there was no permission to search the cargo vessel in open waters on 22 November, it was inspected in violation of international regulations.

The prosecution indicated that it had opened an investigation into the incident.

The IRINI command centre stated on Monday that its forces searched a Turkish cargo ship in the Mediterranean without Ankara’s permission.

READ: EU Parliament calls for urgent sanctions on Turkey over Cyprus

The German Ministry of Defence disclosed that the vessel did not carry prohibited cargo.

On 31 March, the EU launched Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean basin to reinforce the arms embargo imposed on Libya.

“On 27 November 2020 in Absard, Iran, an Iranian government official and several civilians were killed in a series of violent attacks. This is a criminal act and runs counter to the principle of respect for human rights the EU stands for,” Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union said in a statement. 

“The High Representative expresses his condolences to the family members of the individuals who were killed while wishing a prompt recovery to any other individuals who may have been injured,” the statement read.

“In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for all parties to remain calm and exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalation which cannot be in anyone’s interest,” it added.

Fakhrizadeh was targeted on Friday in a multi-pronged attack involving at least one explosion and small fire by a number of assailants in Absard city of Damavand County, Tehran province.

According to the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Defense, the prominent physicist, who headed its Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), was sent to hospital immediately but was martyred due to the wounds he had sustained in the terrorist assault.

During the conflict, the security team protecting Iranian scientist were also injured and transferred to hospital.

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A post-Brexit trade deal appeared to be a way off this weekend after the UK reportedly labelled the EU’s offer on fishing rights “derisory”.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is back in London today for the latest round of talks. Face-to-face negotiations had to be postponed just over a week ago when a member of Barnier’s team caught coronavirus.

Read more: Hooked: UK and EU stuck in Brexit deadlock over fisheries

Before Barnier was forced into self-isolation, things were looking up for a Brexit deal. Yet the two sides appear to be far apart again on fishing with only weeks to go until the Brexit transition period ends.

Barnier reportedly told EU ambassadors at a meeting that he had offered the UK a 15 to 18 per cent reduction in the bloc’s fishing rights in British waters.

Yet British officials said the UK has dismissed the offer. The proposals, first reported by Irish broadcaster RTE, were called “derisory”.

Yesterday, Barnier said talks remained stalled over the “same divergences” of fisheries, state aid, and how to resolve future disputes.

UK says EU must respect post-Brexit ‘sovereignty’

The UK is keen to take a much bigger share of the EU’s current fishing rights in British waters, which are worth around €650m (£580m). Chief negotiator David Frost is pushing for around 80 per cent of the rights, according to reports.

Yesterday Frost tweeted: “For a deal to be possible it must fully respect UK sovereignty.

Read more: Brexit: UK business groups ‘crying out for certainty’ as talks drag on

“That is not just a word – it has practical consequences. That includes: controlling our borders; deciding ourselves on a robust and principled subsidy control system; and controlling our fishing waters.”

City A.M. has contacted Number 10 and the European Commission for comment.

Labour mulls support for Brexit deal

Should a deal be agreed, the Labour Party is planning to back it in parliament, according to The Guardian. It comes as the party seeks to signal to voters in former Labour heartlands that it has heard them on Brexit.

Multiple sources told the paper that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is likely to tell his MPs that they must back the deal in a vote. Labour has been contacted for comment.

A Labour spokesperson said: “The Conservatives need to get a grip on the negotiations and deliver the trade deal they promised the British people at the last election.

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p class=”wp-block-tpd-block-tpd-read-more-block”>Read more: Labour’s Anneliese Dodds says Brexit deal looks ‘thin as gruel’

“We have consistently said that no deal would be the worst possible scenario, especially with workers, families and businesses already under so much strain from the pandemic.

“Labour will look carefully at the detail of any deal if and when it is agreed.”

… ) — Teams from Britain and the European Union resumed face-to-face talks … the little time that remains.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier returned …
The U.K. left the EU early this year, but remained … it entails. The 27-nation EU accuses Britain of seeking to …

The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said ‘we are far from the take it or leave it moment’ as he resumed make-or-break Brexit talks with Lord Frost today.

Mr Barnier arrived in London last night as both sides scramble to hash out a deal on future trading arrangements before Britain leaves the transition period in January.

It is the first time Lord Frost has met face-to-face with Mr Barnier since the French diplomat went into self-isolation after a member of his team caught coronavirus.

As it stands, Britain will leave the EU’s trade and customs area in five weeks with talks on a follow-on agreement stalled over fishing rights and fair trade rules.

Both parties warned yesterday that success was not guaranteed, with Mr Barnier tweeting that the ‘same significant divergences persist’.

A failure to strike an accord would result in a chaotic divorce on January 1, with the two sides forced to trade on World Trade Organisation terms which would see tariffs imposed on goods travelling into and out of the continent.

There is now huge pressure on negotiators to conclude the talks as soon as possible because of the amount of time it will take the EU to ratify and roll out any deal. 

There are fears that if talks continue beyond next week then the bloc could struggle to complete the ratification and implementation process before January 1. 

‘We are not far from the take it or leave it moment,’ Mr Barnier later told EU ambassadors, according to a source familiar with the closed-door meeting.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lead negotiator Lord Frost said that people were ‘asking me why we are still talking,’ he said in a tweet. 

‘It’s my job to do my utmost to see if the conditions for a deal exist. It is late but a deal is still possible, and I will continue to talk until it’s clear that it isn’t. 

‘But for a deal to be possible it must fully respect UK sovereignty. That is not just a word – it has practical consequences. 

‘That includes: controlling our borders; deciding ourselves on a robust and principled subsidy control system; and controlling our fishing waters.

‘We look to reach an agreement on this basis, allowing the new beginning to our relationship with the EU which, for our part, we have always wanted. We will continue to work hard to get it – because an agreement on any other basis is not possible.’ 

Britain has been trading on the same terms with the EU since it officially left the bloc in January as part of a transition agreement that expires at the end of the year.  

If the two parties fail to secure a post-Brexit deal, a no-deal scenario is widely expected to cause economic chaos, with customs checks required at borders.  

Concern is particularly acute on the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland, where the sudden imposition of a hard border threatens the delicate peace secured by 1999’s Good Friday Agreement. 

Mr Johnson spoke with Irish premier Micheal Martin late Friday and ‘underlined his commitment to reaching a deal that respects the sovereignty of the UK’.

But he also ‘reaffirmed the need to prioritise the Good Friday Agreement and avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland,’ according to London.  

Mr Johnson earlier told reporters the ‘likelihood of a deal is very much determined by our friends and partners in the EU’, adding there were ‘substantial and important differences to be bridged.’

A key sticking point is the EU’s demand for a post-Brexit ‘level playing field’, with punishing trade penalties if either side diverges from agreed standards or state aid regulations, but Britain does not want to be bound by rules made in Brussels.

Britain’s fishing waters are also a hot topic, with sources on Friday saying that Barnier told envoys that London was asking that European access to them be cut by 80 percent, while the EU was willing to accept 15 to 18 percent.

The talks have already pushed on much longer than expected and time is running out for ratification of any deal by the European Parliament by the end of the year.

Members of the European Parliament have expressed frustration with the delays and may have to ratify a deal between Christmas and the New Year.

In Brussels, one source close to the talks said she would ‘eat my hat’ if there was a deal by Monday, echoing a chorus of complaints that Johnson was playing the clock 

Last night, Mr Barnier said he was ‘very happy to be back in London’ and vowed to ‘continue the work with patience and determination’.  

The Frenchman, who arrived at St Pancras International, had said yesterday morning that the ‘same significant divergences persist’.

Lord Frost said he believed a deal can still be achieved as he vowed to ‘continue to talk until it’s clear’ that the two sides cannot reach an agreement. 

However, he said for a deal to be done it ‘must fully respect UK sovereignty’ as he stressed that is ‘not just a word’ but something which has ‘practical consequences’.   

Members of the European Parliament on Thursday voted in favor of a resolution calling on the European Council to impose urgent sanctions against Turkey.

The measure was promoted by what the European Parliament called Turkey’s o”illegal activities in the Varosha suburb of the city of Famagusta” in Cyprus.

In 1974, the Turkish army fenced off Varosha, a beach resort immediately after the invasion of Cyprus. The Greek Cypriots who fled from Varosha were not allowed to return and with public entry prohibited, Varosha has effectively become a ghost town.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan angered Cyprus when he visited Verosha on November 15. Ankara backed the partial re-opening of Varosha in a move criticised by the United States, Greece and Greek Cypriots.

Erdogan’s visit this month capped months of tensions between Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, as well as Europe, when Ankara began exploring for natural resources off the coast of Cyprus. This prompted a military buildup on the Eastern Mediterranean, alarming other states such as Egypt.

Members of the European Parliament on Thursday warned that Turkey’s decision to partially open the town of Varosha, “weakens prospects of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, exacerbating divisions and entrenching the permanent partition of the island”.

They also called on Turkey to transfer Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under the UN temporary administration in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 550 (1984) and to refrain from any actions that alter the demographic balance on the island through a “policy of illegal settlement.”

In response, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the resolution, saying: “We completely reject the non-binding resolution adopted by the MEPs on our country and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

“This decision, which is undoubtedly dictated by the Greek Cypriot administration, once again demonstrates how disconnected from reality and prejudiced the EP is on the Cyprus issue,” he continued.

Earlier this month, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to northern Cyprus during which he called for a “two-state” solution in the island.

“These [actions] will cause greater distrust and tension in the region and should be urgently reversed,” he said.

The island of Cyprus was divided in 1974. The island’s Greek Cypriots live predominantly in the south, and Turkish Cypriots in the north since the 1974 war. Several peacemaking efforts have failed and the discovery of offshore resources has complicated the negotiations.