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| Boris Johnson to speak to EC chief on Saturday in last-ditch Brexit talks | Boris Johnson to speak to EC chief on Saturday in last-ditch Brexit talks |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Prime minister and Ursula von der Leyen will ‘take stock and discuss next steps’, says No 10 | Prime minister and Ursula von der Leyen will ‘take stock and discuss next steps’, says No 10 |
| Boris Johnson and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will speak on Saturday afternoon for the first time since June, it has been announced, in an eleventh-hour attempt to find common ground on a trade and security deal. | Boris Johnson and the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will speak on Saturday afternoon for the first time since June, it has been announced, in an eleventh-hour attempt to find common ground on a trade and security deal. |
| After the latest and last scheduled round of negotiations in Brussels, a Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister would “take stock of negotiations and discuss next steps” with the commission president. | After the latest and last scheduled round of negotiations in Brussels, a Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister would “take stock of negotiations and discuss next steps” with the commission president. |
| After their last meeting, Johnson had declared it time to put a “tiger in the tank” of the negotiations. The prime minister had insisted it was even possible to strike a deal before the summer was out. | After their last meeting, Johnson had declared it time to put a “tiger in the tank” of the negotiations. The prime minister had insisted it was even possible to strike a deal before the summer was out. |
| Three months have since passed and while EU sources said the last week of talks between the teams led by UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, had made some progress, a major breakthrough is yet to be made. | Three months have since passed and while EU sources said the last week of talks between the teams led by UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, had made some progress, a major breakthrough is yet to be made. |
| “There are no landing zones in sight yet”, said one source. | “There are no landing zones in sight yet”, said one source. |
| The conversation between Johnson and Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, is nevertheless seen as a positive move in Brussels, providing a gateway to further rounds of negotiation. | The conversation between Johnson and Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, is nevertheless seen as a positive move in Brussels, providing a gateway to further rounds of negotiation. |
| It is expected the two sides will continue in talks over the next two weeks with an EU summit on 15 October looming as a key moment. | It is expected the two sides will continue in talks over the next two weeks with an EU summit on 15 October looming as a key moment. |
| Johnson had suggested last month the UK could walk away from the talks to concentrate on no-deal preparations should there be no agreement by mid-October. Brussels had also hoped to have a deal in place by the time of the summit. | Johnson had suggested last month the UK could walk away from the talks to concentrate on no-deal preparations should there be no agreement by mid-October. Brussels had also hoped to have a deal in place by the time of the summit. |
| EU sources suggested the timetable for a deal was slipping but that it would be unthinkable for either side to end the negotiation this month if there was hope that an agreement could be secured. Barnier is due to meet the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, on Monday in Berlin to plot out the next few weeks. | |
| Officials in Brussels suggested the much-discussed “tunnel” of intensive negotiations, where the two sides get creative away from the glare of media scrutiny and the involvement of the EU capitals, may have to wait until the end of this month with a deal potentially being secured in early November. | Officials in Brussels suggested the much-discussed “tunnel” of intensive negotiations, where the two sides get creative away from the glare of media scrutiny and the involvement of the EU capitals, may have to wait until the end of this month with a deal potentially being secured in early November. |
| The first or second week of November is being seen as the real deadline for agreement given the need to find time time for ratification by the European parliament and in Westminster. | The first or second week of November is being seen as the real deadline for agreement given the need to find time time for ratification by the European parliament and in Westminster. |
| The most contentious issues in the talks remain that of control of domestic subsidies or state aid, to ensure a so-called ‘level playing field’ for EU-UK businesses, and access for European fishing fleets to British waters. | The most contentious issues in the talks remain that of control of domestic subsidies or state aid, to ensure a so-called ‘level playing field’ for EU-UK businesses, and access for European fishing fleets to British waters. |
| Ahead of this week’s talks, five new draft negotiating documents were submitted by the government, including legal texts on fisheries, the “level playing field”, law enforcement and judicial cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation and social security coordination. | Ahead of this week’s talks, five new draft negotiating documents were submitted by the government, including legal texts on fisheries, the “level playing field”, law enforcement and judicial cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation and social security coordination. |
| The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that Britain had offered a three-year transition period for European fishing fleets to allow them to prepare for the post-Brexit changes as part of an 11th-hour deal sweetener. The catches of EU fishermen would be “phased down” between 2021 and 2024 to offer time for European coastal communities to adapt to the changes. | The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that Britain had offered a three-year transition period for European fishing fleets to allow them to prepare for the post-Brexit changes as part of an 11th-hour deal sweetener. The catches of EU fishermen would be “phased down” between 2021 and 2024 to offer time for European coastal communities to adapt to the changes. |
| On state aid, EU sources said the UK had offered to lay out a series of “principles” on controlling domestic subsidies. | On state aid, EU sources said the UK had offered to lay out a series of “principles” on controlling domestic subsidies. |
| The EU said the paper offered hope that the UK would build on provisions in the recently signed UK-Japan deal. The trade deal with Tokyo prevents either side from indefinitely guaranteeing the debts of struggling companies or providing open-ended bailouts without approved restructuring plans. | The EU said the paper offered hope that the UK would build on provisions in the recently signed UK-Japan deal. The trade deal with Tokyo prevents either side from indefinitely guaranteeing the debts of struggling companies or providing open-ended bailouts without approved restructuring plans. |
| But the paper failed to offer appropriate “governance” proposals that would allow Brussels to keep the UK to its pledges, EU sources said. | But the paper failed to offer appropriate “governance” proposals that would allow Brussels to keep the UK to its pledges, EU sources said. |