Post-Brexit relations negotiations

The progress of the EU and the UK is slow, and the post-Brexit relations negotiations have moved towards a fringe moment.

At the end of the latest round of negotiations on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, both parties said they were still far from reaching an agreement. Privately, officials are heading towards reaching consensus on key areas.

After the talks in London, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters on Thursday that there are still “huge differences” between the two sides. If the UK does not compromise on the bottom line, it is “impossible” to reach an agreement. David Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator for Brexit, said the two sides must face the possibility of no agreement.

In addition to these public remarks, there are signs that both parties have communicated their willingness to make concessions on the disputed issue this week: examples include the structure of the agreement, the role played by the European Court of Justice in handling the agreement, and the extent to which the UK applies the EU’s state aid rules.

Negotiations are moving towards the final moments. Officials are seeking to reach an agreement before the EU leaders’ summit in mid-October. In a few weeks, Britain will officially leave the EU single market and customs union. If no agreement is reached by then, companies will face more tariffs and quotas.

A senior British official with knowledge of the negotiations told reporters on Thursday that the negotiations were a balance between failure and breakthrough.