UK minister: Door 'still ajar' for post-Brexit talks with EU

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UK minister: Door 'still ajar' for post-Brexit talks with EU

2020-10-18 23:00 Last Updated At：23:10

A senior British official said Sunday the door is “still ajar” for post-Brexit talks to continue with the European Union if officials in the bloc change their position on key points.

Michael Gove's comments came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Friday that the trade talks are “over” unless there is a “fundamental” change of position from the EU. With just weeks to go until the end-of-year deadline, Johnson said the U.K. needed to get ready for leaving the EU with no trade deal.

But Gove on Sunday left room for talks to agree on a deal so that the U.K. can avoid the high trade tariffs it faces from Dec. 31, when the transition period ends.

He accused EU officials of not being serious about making compromises, and said they would have to back down if chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier is to resume negotiations in London this week.

“We’re certainly not saying that if they do change their position we can’t talk to them,” he told the BBC.

Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 31, but remains part of its economic structures until Dec. 31. The two sides have been trying to strike a deal on trade and other relations before then, but months of talks have been stalled on the issue of fishing and rules to ensure fair competition.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the EU still wanted a deal, but “not at any price.”

Britain charges that the EU is to blame for not giving in to the U.K.’s demand for a generous free trade agreement like the one the bloc has with Canada. London also accuses the EU of seeking to impose demands it hasn’t placed on other countries it has free trade deals with.

The Confederation of British Industry and other business groups warned that companies face unprecedented challenges with the double whammy of the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty on trading with the EU.

“With each day that passes, business resilience is chipped away. A swift deal is the single most effective way to support recovery in communities across Europe,” the groups said.

EU, Britain and Spain say significant progress made in talks on post-Brexit status of Gibraltar

2024-04-12 23:26 Last Updated At：23:31

MADRID (AP) — British and Spanish foreign ministers said a new round of talks held Friday over the status of the disputed territory of Gibraltar following Britain’s exit from the European Union were productive and significant progress was made.

The meeting was between Spain's José Manuel Albares, Britain’s David Cameron and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also attended. It was the first time representatives from the four areas had come together for talks on the issue.

In a statement after the meeting, the parties said "discussions took place in a constructive atmosphere, with significant progress achieved.

“General political lines have been agreed (on), including on airport, goods and mobility. Negotiations will continue over the coming weeks to conclude the EU-UK Agreement,” it added.

All sides are eager to clinch a deal before European elections in June.

Britain left the European Union in 2020 with the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc unresolved. Talks on a deal to ensure people and goods can keep flowing over the Gibraltar-Spain border have made halting progress in the 19 rounds of negotiations so far, but both Spanish and U.K. officials have recently expressed optimism about a deal.

In Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU. The tiny territory on Spain's southern tip depends greatly on access to the EU market for its 34,000 inhabitants.

Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713, but Spain has maintained its sovereignty claim ever since. Relations concerning the Rock, as it is popularly referred to in English, have had their ups and downs over the centuries.

A major sticking point has been who controls Gibraltar’s airport, which under the proposed free-movement deal would be an external border of the EU. The U.K. and Gibraltar have resisted Spain’s insistence that Spanish border officials be based at the airport, which is also home to a Royal Air Force base.

The British Foreign Office said Thursday that while it did not expect a final agreement Friday, "getting senior political figures from the UK, European Commission, Spain and Gibraltar in one room is significant.”

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless reported from London.