Brexit: Britain says "ready" for a failure of negotiations

Britain yesterday said it was "ready" for a failure of trade negotiations with the European Union, which continue to be deadlocked as the Brexit transition period draws to a close .

During a telephone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson "reiterated our clear commitment to work to reach an agreement" and that "nevertheless, Britain is ready to end the transition period in austerity terms. "(equivalent to 'no agreement'), if no agreement can be reached," Downing Street said in a statement.

Negotiations between the EU and Britain to find an agreement on the post-Brexit relationship resumed today in London in the hope of an end by the end of October, despite the little progress made so far. They will continue until Friday and a meeting is scheduled that day between the chief negotiators, the European Michel Barnier and the British David Frost, according to European sources.

European Council President Charles Michel called on London to "play open cards" in the talks, at the end of his communication with the Conservative prime minister. "The EU prefers an agreement, but not at any cost," he wrote on Twitter.

Europeans accuse London of having not yet entered the hard core of the negotiations, and thus letting the ghost of a "non-agreement" potentially catastrophic for the already weakened economies due to the pandemic linger.

During a teleconference conference on Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson agreed to speed up negotiations in a bid to reach an agreement.

Time is running out for Brexit

The Europeans want to reach an agreement by the end of October, the British have set the deadline earlier, October 15, the date of the European summit in Brussels.

According to British negotiator David Frost, although "good progress" has been made in the negotiations, the two sides are still "far from" an agreement at the moment.

"Significant differences" still exist in three outrageous issues, he added during a House of Lords hearing: fisheries, fair competition and governance of the agreement. Leading negotiators are expected to continue working intensively in the coming days to try to bridge the gap, Downing Street said.

Failure to reach an agreement on the future relationship would have potentially catastrophic economic consequences, with trade being governed by World Trade Organization rules and high tariffs.

The ratification of a possible agreement continues to be threatened by the tensions that have arisen after the British bill that challenges certain commitments made in the divorce agreement concerning Northern Ireland.