EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gives a news conference after Brexit negotiations, in Brussels, Belgium on June 5, 2020, (REUTERS File Photo)
WARSAW/BRUSSELS, June 24 (Reuters): Britain must send "clear signals" that it wants to seal a deal with the European Union on their relationship after Brexit, the bloc's chief negotiator said ahead of more talks with London, adding a deal was still possible before the end of the year.
Michel Barnier said Britain had so far not engaged with tentative openings floated by the EU side on state aid and fisheries in the previous negotiating rounds.
"The ball is in the UK's court," Barnier told an online seminar on Wednesday. "I believe that the deal is still possible."
He said he was "disappointed" with Britain's refusal to negotiate on foreign policy and defence but that he was open to finding a "margin of flexibility" on thus-far conflicting EU and UK positions on fisheries and the state aid fair play guarantees.
"As well as with fisheries and governance, we are ready to work on landing zones, respecting the mandate of the EU," he said when asked how far the bloc could go towards Britain on the so-called level playing field provisions of fair competition.
Barnier said "the moment of truth" would come in October when the negotiating teams must finalise a draft deal if it is to be ratified by all the 27 EU member states before the end of the year when Britain's standstill transition after Brexit ends.
Should talks fail, Barnier said the UK would be more severely affected than the EU, meaning that the bloc was not inclined to seal a deal at all cost.
"The level playing field is not for sale. It is a core part of the our trade model and we refuse to compromise to benefit the British economy," he said.
Barnier added that, while Britain refused to sign up to the elaborate level playing field commitments in exchange for continued access to the single market, it was keen to retain very close ties on financial services and the electricity market.
