Brexit: No progress expected in latest round of UK-EU trade talks
UK and EU negotiators are expected to announce today that no significant progress had been made in the latest round of Brexit trade deal negotiations.
Boris Johnson last month said he wanted the framework of free trade deal agreed between the UK and EU by July, however it looks like this deadline will pass with large differences still between the sides.
UK chief negotiator David Frost and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier met for an informal dinner on Monday, with a formal round of talks following in London.
However, the Financial Times reports that both sides will announce today that there has been no progress made on the key issues of EU fishing access to UK waters, business competition regulations known as the level playing field and the overall governance of the deal.
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The UK government has previously said it wants a deal agreed by the end of summer, however this is looking increasingly unlikely.
Brussels is reportedly worried that time is running out for a deal to be agreed, with internal EU plans to sign off on the final deal on 15 October at a summit in doubt.
The UK leaves the post-Brexit transition period – and the EU’s single market and customs union – on 31 December, but both sides have said there needs to be time to prepare businesses for the changes next year and to ratify it in the EU parliament.
An EU official told the FT: “The writing of the legal text has to start in September.”
The next formal round of talks will begin on 17 August.