Ireland’s foreign minister has said that negotiations over a post-Brexit trade deal were not going well, warning that the UK is unlikely to get a better deal on fishing arrangements than the one offered by the EU over the weekend.
Speaking on Monday, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney presented a pessimistic picture of Brexit negotiations, claiming talks were “not in a good place.”
The minister said that access to UK fisheries remains the main, outstanding sticking point, adding that it was “very unlikely” that the EU would support a further compromise on fishing after one was offered at the weekend.
“The EU offer over the weekend was a very generous one, and countries like France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Ireland are very unlikely to make a further offer,” the minister told RTE Radio.
Coveney’s comments come after EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said talks with the UK were at a “crucial” point on Sunday, adding the need to respect British sovereignty.
Barnier also struck an unusually compromising position on fishing, tweeting: “Both the EU and the UK must have the right to set their own laws and control their own waters. And we should both be able to act when our interests are at stake.”
The UK is now less than two weeks away from leaving the EU without a trade deal after protracted but, so far, unsuccessful negotiations.
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