UK-EU Committee To Oversee Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Amid Trade Deal Deadlock

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2020) The UK-EU Joint Committee under the Withdrawal Agreement is scheduled to meet on Monday in London and by videoconference to check on the implementation of the Brexit agreement amid a deadlock on trade talks and threats by United Kingdom to end the transition period without a deal.

The meeting's agenda includes opening remarks from the committee's co-chairs and discussions on the current state of the process of withdrawal that began on January 31, when the UK left the European Union after 47 years of membership.

The exit opened an 11-month transition period to negotiate their future commercial relations, but the talks have hit a stalemate over fishing quotas, the so-called level-playing field � the set of common rules and standards designed to prevent businesses in one country from undercutting their rivals in other countries � and governance.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the UK should get ready to leave the EU without a free trade agreement, after claiming that Brussels has refused to negotiate seriously for much of the last few months.

If no trade deal is secured before the transition period expires on December 31, the World Trade Organization's rules for both parties will come into effect starting 2021, including customs tariffs and full border checks for UK goods entering the EU, the same regulations that apply for current trade between Australia and the European bloc.