The President of the European Commission now sees a path to a Brexit deal due to the advancement that has been made in recent days. According to Ursula von der Leyen, that path is very narrow.
“We have found a way advancing on most issues,” she says. Although “the discussion about fishing remains very difficult”.
Von der Leyen updated the European Parliament on Wednesday about the difficult negotiations on the future affiliation amongst the EU and the United Kingdom, for which the time is now really running out.
“The coming days are decisive,” she emphasized, now that the turn of the year is approaching and the moment when the UK no longer obeys European rules. Even though “I know that I have said that before and that deadlines have been missed time and time again”.
There are still two major issues, Von der Leyen confirms. EU negotiators and UK negotiators are making progress on ensuring fair competition when the British leave the European single market on January 1.
According to the Commission President, they agree, among other things, that both parties can take countermeasures if the other makes the playing field for companies uneven through state aid. And a way has been agreed to prevent the British government from relaxing the rules for companies, such as climate regulations, to lure companies to the UK. “A big step forward.”
The disagreement about the supervision of the agreements has also been primarily resolved, says Von der Leyen.
“The good news” that there is movement in most of the tricky issues is no guarantee that the negotiations will succeed, von der Leyen warns. “This is such a case of being so close and yet so far apart.”