Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped up the pressure on Thursday (December 10th) by saying there was a "strong possibility" that negotiations with the European Union over their future trade relationship would fail, as London and Brussels step up their preparations .

The day after a dinner with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels to try to unblock the situation, the head of the conservative government met his ministers, believing that "the agreement which is on the table is not really not good for the UK at the moment ".

"There is now a strong possibility that we have a solution that is more like the relationship that Australia has with the EU," meaning no deal, he told TV channels. British information.

"We are not stopping the discussions, we will continue to negotiate," added Boris Johnson, saying he was ready to go to Brussels, Paris, Berlin to try to find an agreement.

He also ordered his ministers to prepare for a "no deal" when the EU presented its emergency measures for such a scenario.

Described as "frank" by Downing Street, "alive" by the Commission, the dinner between Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson only allowed Sunday to set the deadline on "the future of the negotiations".

On the BBC, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab ruled that in order to reach an agreement, the European Union had to "move significantly" on the issues of access to fishing grounds and the guarantees demanded of London by the EU in terms of competition in exchange for access without customs duties or quotas to its market.

The UK, which officially left the EU on January 31, will leave the single market and customs union for good on December 31.

It will then trade independently, and has thus made agreements with certain countries such as Japan, Kenya and Thursday morning Singapore, a major financial and commercial platform, crucial in Asia.

The EU is preparing for a "no deal"

But without a free trade agreement with Brussels on that date, trade between London and the EU, its main partner, will be carried out according to the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), synonymous with customs duties and quotas. , at the risk of a new shock for economies already weakened by the coronavirus.

Despite the urgency, neither French President Emmanuel Macron nor German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the subject publicly upon their arrival at the European summit which opened Thursday in Brussels.

Without delay, Ursula von der Leyen presented emergency measures applicable from January 1 in the event of a "no deal".

They aim to maintain connectivity in road and air transport for six months, provided that London does the same, but also to guarantee reciprocal access to the waters of both parties for fishing vessels until December 31, 2021.

"There is no guarantee that, once an agreement has been reached, it can enter into force on time. It is our responsibility to be prepared for all eventualities", explained the President of the Commission.

Congestion in ports 

Downing Street has promised to "examine very closely the details" of the European plan but was particularly reserved on the subject of fishing, recalling that London intended to take back "the control" of its waters on 1 January.

These measures had long been called for by certain Member States, increasingly concerned about the prospect of a failure of the negotiations, but the Commission had so far refused to present them in order not to hamper the talks.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he believed Boris Johnson wanted to reach an agreement.

A "no deal" would therefore constitute "a huge political failure" and would be "enormously costly and destructive", he said on the public media RTE.

On the British side, the concrete effects of the major upheaval that is announced on December 31, after almost half a century in the European club, are already being felt.

Freight ports are overwhelmed in preparation for the big jump, causing supply difficulties for certain products such as toys or auto parts.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR