BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2020) The conclusion of the Brexit transition period at the end of the year is rapidly approaching, and with talks still at a stalemate, EU ministers met for a General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, with leading officials urging London to make progress in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit scenario.
Tuesday's meeting took place just two days before a self-imposed deadline put forward by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson back in September. At that time, Johnson set an October 15 deadline for negotiators from Brussels and London to reach a trade deal.
The UK government has already drawn the ire of officials in Brussels by introducing the controversial Internal Market Bill one month ago. The legislation seeks to make several changes to the rules governing customs arrangements and state aid in Northern Ireland, revising terms agreed upon in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
EU officials subsequently gave the United Kingdom a one-month ultimatum to remove the controversial terms from the new bill or be faced with the prospect of Brussels walking away from trade negotiations.
Despite the confrontational rhetoric, Ireland's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Simon Coveney, said after the General Affairs Council meeting that there was still time for the UK and the European Union to reach an agreement.
"A number of things are clear. First of all, there are a number of weeks left in this negotiation, not a number of days, and so when the European Council meets at the end of this week, there will be a detailed stock take on where we are in these negotiations," the Irish minister said.
However, Coveney added that he did not expect to see a breakthrough in the negotiations by the end of the week.
FISHERIES STILL PROVING DIFFICULT
Tuesday's General Affairs Council meeting was chaired by German Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth. Upon his arrival, Roth outlined that Brussels and London had yet to agree on the terms of the so-called level playing field, the set of common rules and standards drawn up to prevent firms in one country undercutting another.
Alongside the level playing field, fishing rights continue to be a stumbling block in negotiations, despite Roth appearing to struggle to remember the crucial industry during a doorstop interview.
"Frankly speaking, we are at a very critical stage in the negotiations. And we are extremely under pressure and time is running out, that's why we expect substantial progress by our friends in the United Kingdom in key areas, in particular, governance, the level playing field, and ... fisheries, not to forget," Roth commented.
According to Coveney, substantive progress has been made on the level playing field issues, in contrast to fisheries where both sides remain far apart.
"I think there's been some progress on the level playing field issues. There's been little or no progress, unfortunately, on fishing, and both sides are still very far apart," the Irish minister said.
The United Kingdom government has sought to regain control of the country's waters and mandate that EU countries must apply for fishing rights annually. Brussels has, so far, stood firm and sought to negotiate constant rights to fish in UK waters.
The European Council is scheduled to host a two-day meeting beginning on Thursday with the ongoing UK-EU negotiations expected to be at the top of the agenda.
Speaking at a press conference following Tuesday's General Affairs Council meeting, Roth stated that the bloc's European affairs ministers remain fully in support of the EU's lead Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier.
"Firstly, on this question, we stand together. We fully support Michel Barnier and his negotiating team," Roth remarked.
The German state minister for Europe also said that EU ministers have given their commitment not to get into a "blame game" with the United Kingdom.
Despite the Brexit transition period officially closing at the end of the year, EU officials have said that all agreements must, in theory, be reached by the end of the month in order to give enough time for ratification by the European Parliament.
As a result, EU officials have stressed their commitment to working as quickly as possible to conclude the required agreements.
"We continue: full attention, full speed in this final stage," European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic wrote on Twitter earlier on Tuesday.
COVID-19, RULE OF LAW ALSO ON AGENDA
Alongside the ongoing Brexit talks, EU ministers also agreed on a series of guidelines for international travel within the bloc's borders amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"As a first step, we have established that in the future, we will have a shared database to use, which will be used by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control ... Every week, there will be a data overview and a map," Roth said at the press conference.
According to the German minister, a three-tiered "traffic light" system will be implemented to govern the border controls and quarantine measures applicable to international travelers.
"The map will be based on a combination of three indicators: the incidence rate, the testing rate, and the number of positive tests, and it will be regionalized and use a traffic light system of red, orange, and green," Roth said.
Travelers coming from green regions will not be required to undergo tests for the coronavirus disease or quarantine upon arrival, according to EU guidance issued earlier in the day. Those whose journeys originate in orange or red regions will face restrictive measures.
The European Union's rule of law mechanism, which proposes to make access to EU funds conditional on member states adopting a series of shared values and principles, was also on the agenda, Roth said.
However, the German minister stated that the bloc was yet to be united on this matter.
"It's quite clear that at present, this is an issue that divides the European Union. We're not at one on this but it is a central question in a European Union that regards itself, first of all, as a community of law and values," Roth remarked.
Hungary and Poland are believed to be the targets of the mechanism, and officials in both Warsaw and Budapest have been heavily critical of the proposed measure, which they say would constitute a modification of the bloc's founding treaties.
