UK will be comfortable with ending the talks on a free-trade deal with the EU, if they do not produce a result before an upcoming EU summit scheduled for October 15, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce Monday.
If we can’t agree, then I do not see that there will be a free-trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on,
…Johnson said in comments pre-released to the press on Sunday.
Although Britain left the EU on 31st of January this year, there has been little progress on a new trade deal after a status-quo transition arrangement ends in December.
Reaching a deal is considered urgently needed, but Johnson will say there is no sense in thinking about timelines beyond 15 October.
As a government we are preparing, at our borders and at our ports, to be ready for it. We will have full control over our laws, our rules, and our fishing waters,
…he will say.
The outcome of negotiations is considered vital for fishing industry. While the UK has formally left the EU, it is still bound by the EU’s rules, including its Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), until the end of 2020. This means the fishing fleets of every country involved have full access to each other’s waters, apart from the first 12 nautical miles out from the coast. On its part, EU says reaching a “fair deal” on fisheries is a pre-condition for a free trade agreement.
See also: UK fishing industry prepares catch certificates in the event of no deal Brexit
