DM Monitoring
LONDON: Negotiators have returned to the table to continue talks over a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and the European Union (EU), a move seen by many as a positive development. David Phinnemore, professor of European Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, said the fact that negotiations are still on despite missing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s October deadline, is a “good sign”.
“They’re more intense. You’ve got more people involved. They’ve got a clear new structure to them. And I think that the commitment is there now to secure a deal, if possible, in time for it to come into force by the end of the year,” Phinnemore told Xinhua in a recent interview.
“I think one thing that we have seen is there’s been a little bit more detail provided as to where they are in negotiations. Insofar as I think when (EU chief negotiator Michel) Barnier spoke to the European Parliament, he did really offer a range of areas where broadly the UK and the EU are in agreement. And that we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there is a fair amount on which they do agree,” Phinnemore said. The expert stressed, however, that huge differences still remain between the two sides. “Let’s not underestimate the fact that there are principles at play here, there are interests at play,” he added.
“The big question is, can those be resolved in the coming weeks? I think that the fact that both sides are talking suggests that they think there’s some space there to find the deal. And I think also, probably the politics has shifted somewhat because there’s more and more calls out there from businesses in particular, to get a deal,” he noted.
The two sides have clashed over the issue of “state aid” rules, which limit governmental help for industry in the name of ensuring fair economic competition; and over how much European fishing boats should be able to catch in British waters from next year.
According to Phinnemore, aspects of these “sticking points” could be overlooked in favour of the bigger picture.
“Fishing is always a big political issue in any negotiation, it raises sensitivities. But I think more and more people see the bigger picture — it’s a very small percentage of the economy,” he said.
“The UK has fishing waters to which the EU wants access. The EU has a market to which the UK fishing industry needs access. So the logic is, there must be a way to find a deal within that,” he told Xinhua.
Britain recently announced that it had formally signed a trade agreement with Japan — marking Britain’s first major post-Brexit deal.
For Phinnemore, with the deal being similar to the pre-existing one between Japan and the EU, there doesn’t seem to be a “radical departure” from what is already in place.
