Second round of post-Brexit trade talks makes limited progress

The first week of talks on a permanent post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) ended on Friday. "Limited progress" was made and vast differences remained.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said in Brussels that the first round of three negotiating sessions had been disappointing, Xinhua news agency reported.

Talks led by Barnier and the UK's chief negotiator David Frost were the first for two months after stalling because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Statements issued by both sides pointed to a mountain to climb if real progress is to be made by June.

The end of June has been set as the cut-off point for an agreement to extend the current implementation period beyond December 31, 2020.

The UK left the EU on January 31, but is sticking to the bloc's rules until the end of this year.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists that his country is sticking to the deadline. That could mean the UK crashing out and working with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

The UK has insisted that it wants a Canada-style relationship based on a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA), supplemented by separate international agreements.

The UK has maintained that it will be a fully independent and sovereign country from January 1, 2021, with no alignment with EU law and no jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson's government insists that will happen regardless of how the negotiations with the EU pan out.

A UK government spokesperson described the negotiating round as full and constructive, conducted remotely by video conference.

"However, limited progress was made in bridging the gaps between us and the EU," the spokesperson said.

During the week over 100 British negotiators supported the talks, taking part in almost 40 video conferences.

Downing Street said that "we will not make progress on the so-called 'level playing field' and the governance provisions until the EU drops its insistence on imposing conditions on the UK, which are not found in the EU's other trade agreements and which do not take account of the fact that we have left the EU as an independent state."

Barnier, in a briefing after the first round of talks ended, said there were four areas where progress was disappointing, including what kind of access the UK could have to the European single market after Brexit, as well as on justice and fisheries.

In London, the Daily Telegraph commented that while Downing Street continued to insist there will be no extension to the transition, the prevailing opinion in Brussels is that the end-of-year deadline will not stand.

The Times, also in London, commented the EU had accused Britain of stalling the post-Brexit trade talks and creating a no-deal cliff edge by ruling out an extension to the transition period.

The commentary added: "Barnier showed his anger at what the EU views as a deliberate policy to slow down negotiations that have already been delayed by his sickness from coronavirus."

Barnier said at his video press conference: "It is important for all stakeholders to have a long term, durable arrangement. It will be hard for both sides, but I believe we can do it."

Barnier said the UK needed to quickly provide firm guarantees rather than vague principles on fundamental rights and individual freedoms, otherwise it would face serious limitations for a security partnership.

Although behind-the-scenes dialogue will continue, the focus will turn to May 11, when round two of the three-round negotiations gets underway.