Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has warned that the EU will not ratify a trade deal with the UK if it tries to reintroduce parts of controversial legislation aimed at overriding international law. “And I think the consequences of not getting a trade deal and a future relationship deal... before the end of the year, I think is very significant.”He said there was a need to dial down the language between the EU and UK in the Brexit talks. At one point, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier took a break from negotiations and posted an image of himself “looking for level playing fields” in a London park. Without a deal being struck, trade between the UK and EU will be subject to tariffs set out by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). However, on Sunday afternoon, the UK hinted that Brexit talks could stretch out beyond this week.

Source: The Irish Times November 15, 2020 09:35 UTC