Brexit: Britain sets deadline on October 15 for EU to compromise
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Britain has set a deadline on Oct. 15 for the European Union (EU) to agree on a trade deal, otherwise the island country would go ahead with the Brexit without a deal, several major media reported on late Sunday.
Britain ended its EU membership on Jan. 31 this year but is still following EU rules during the transition period until Dec. 31 to enable a permanent future trade deal to be reached.
However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to local media reports, talked tough on the deal negotiations with the EU. He will announce a deadline on Oct. 15 for the deal to be reached, his office was quoted as saying on Sunday.
“If we can’t agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on,” he said.
The British government’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost said Sunday that his government is unafraid to walk away from the post-Brexit trade talks with the EU if the regional bloc does not compromise on major issues, including fisheries and state aid rules.
There are 2 tricky issues.
The EU is asking for same access to British fishing waters as when UK was in EU. No Brexiteer will accept this.
EU wants UK to follow EU state aid rules. And as Hungarians know too well Malev was forced into bankruptcy yet Lufthansa and Air France have received billions in state Aid. The EU does not require other non EU countries to follow such rules so why should UK?