Connect with us

Conservative Party

#Johnson to tell EU chief - no extension to trade deal talks

SHARE:

Published

6 years ago

on

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen that Britain will not extend its transition out of the European Union beyond December 2020, and is not seeking a new relationship based on alignment with existing rules, writes William James.

The British leader met von der Leyen in London on 8 January for the first time since the Commission president, who will play a pivotal role in talks to thrash out new arrangements between Britain and the EU, took office in December.

Johnson won an election last month by promising to deliver Brexit on 31 January and use an 11-month transition period to negotiate a deal that will define terms between the world’s fifth-largest economy and its biggest trading partner.

A statement from Johnson’s office ahead of the visit said he would “stress the importance of agreeing a confident and positive future relationship by the end of December 2020.”

It added: “The prime minister will likely underline that the upcoming negotiations will be based on an ambitious FTA (Free-Trade Agreement), not on alignment.”

Von der Leyen has previously cast doubt on the chances of concluding such a complicated trade agreement within a relatively short space of time, with similar deals having taken years to thrash out and implement.

British Brexit minister Stephen Barclay, and EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will also take part in the meeting.

Advertisement

Share this article:

Share this:
Related Topics:
Guest Contributor - Opinion

Opinions expressed are purely those of the author and not endorsed by EU Reporter. The article was unsolicited by EU Reporter, and the author guarantees the truthfulness of the contents of the article. No payment was made by EU Reporter to the author

EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
Advertisement

Trending