The post-Brexit trade agreement should be approved and signed this week, the European parliament said. A new deadline set as Sunday, Reuters reported on Thursday.
EU Parliament’s draft joint statement says that the leaders of the political groups will say they need to see the trade deal by Sunday to allow scrutiny ahead of a vote on 28 December.
Post-Brexit trade and security deal if it is to stage a vote of consent this year, according to the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier. Over months, there were too many deadlines which have come and gone throughout the Brexit talks. While their effectiveness is almost zero, deadlines have added an extra complication to the negotiation in Brussels, the experts said.
The new post-Brexit deadline will add extra impetus to the negotiations where the issue of EU access to the UK fishing waters is the major outstanding obstacle.
The EU Parliament members say that after Sunday “we don’t believe this would still be possible.” Boris Johnson should make a decision until the end of this week because the uncertainty hanging over people and businesses as a result of UK choices becomes intolerable.
“The discussion is still very difficult,” Ursula von der Leyen said. “We do not question the UK sovereignty on its own waters. But we ask for predictability and stability for our fishermen and our fisherwomen.
Commenting on the poor results of the post-Brexit trade agreement negotiations, the UK officials say that some progress was made but the sides are still very far apart in key areas.
