The EU and UK seem unable to agree on a trade deal today. EU sources have reported to NOS that negotiations are still in full swing.
However, after more than nine months of consultations, the European Union and the United Kingdom are on the verge of concluding an agreement. While some diplomats are more conservative than others to AP and Reuters, they agree that a no-deal Brexit appears unlikely given recent progress.
Earlier today, the deal seemed like a matter of hours. And rumors emerged during the evening about a possible press conference for British Prime Minister Johnson announcing the deal. But Johnson did not appear.
Chief negotiator Barnier (EU) and Frost (UK) are said to be in the process of finalizing the final text, so there are no official announcements at the moment.
Heads of government must be available
Reuters writes that the heads of government of EU member states were told today that they will have to be there tomorrow in the event of a trade deal, indicating that the parties have struck a deal.
The sources told the news agency that the member states of the European Union also started the procedures for the entry into force of the trade agreement. “It’s a matter of disclosure, today or tomorrow.” EU sources told NOS that this is an official announcement and does not necessarily mean that the trade agreement is about to expire.
An agreement must be reached before the end of the year, because in 2021 the Brexit transition period will end and existing FTAs will expire. In this case, the UK and the EU would trade under WTO rules, costing both economies a lot of money.
In recent weeks, the European Union and the United Kingdom have mainly negotiated three main topics. Below we explain it briefly
