The European Commission president said she had “serious concern” over the limited time available for the negotiations and emphasised the need to keep all options open. “It’s not only about negotiating a free trade deal but many other subjects,” Ms Von der Leyen said in an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos. ‘Content, not timing’An Irish Government spokeswoman said that the focus should be on the “content, not timing” of a future EU-UK trade deal after Britain leaves the economic bloc. “The EU has been clear that it will work hard to progress the negotiations as quickly as possible,” said the spokeswoman. Ms Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, said the risks for both sides meant an extension of the transition period could not be ruled out.

Source: The Irish Times December 27, 2019 12:00 UTC