Boris, EU chief held talks on Brexit, coronavirus
- 22 Dec 2020
Gulf Today Report
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed Brexit and the COVID-19 crisis in a phone call on Monday evening, an EU source said Tuesday.
Leaders also spoke on disagreements over fisheries that are barring a new trade deal in a call on Monday, sources said.
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EU sources added that the bloc was now willing to accept a reduction in the value of its catch in UK waters of up to 25% over a period of time from 2021.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference. File photo
The length of that, as well as agreeing how the bloc could retaliate should Britain cut its industry off afterwards were still the sticking points in trade talks just nine days before Britain leaves the bloc's single market and customs union, meaning current trading rules will no longer apply.
The previously undisclosed conversation came as London and Brussels try to thrash out a last-gasp post-Brexit trade deal and scramble to respond to a mutant variant of the coronavirus detected in the UK.
European and other countries have also suspended most of travel from Britain since the weekend to try to curb a new faster spreading strain of the coronavirus.