Thread by @JenniferMerode

Michel Barnier: "There is still no progress no progress on two essential topics." 1. level playing field, including state aid. 2. Fisheries

On state aid we have made no progress at all, Barnier says. Adds this is all the more worrying because we have no visibility on the UK’s future intentions on subsidy control.

Environment, social law, UK refuses policies to avoid undercutting .

On fisheries, "any agreement cannot lead to the partial destruction of the EU fishing industry".

Barnier says fisheries and level playing field mean "the UK makes a trade agreement at this point unlikely".

Barnier repeats the October deadline. "We must come to an agreement by October at the latest… we only have a few weeks left and we should not waste them."

"We only have a few weeks left to properly implement the withdrawal agreement."

Barnier: there is an objective risk of no-deal, [adds] we are ready to negotiate until the last day until the very end.

Barnier: "Those who play the blame game are wasting their time and there isn’t a lot of time to lose."

On reports of talks collapsing, Barnier said he finds the British press "stimulating" (his favourite word for UK press) but what is written does not always correspond to reality.

Adds that neither he nor David Frost have any intention to abandon the negotiations.

The EU is looking for "a certain flexibility to not have systematic references" to ECJ, Barnier said responding to @lisaocarroll

But UK stance means less co-operation on police and judicial co-operation, because EU needs ECJ role. " We cannot do otherwise."

Barnier: October deadline "is not only realistic, it is necessary" because final legal treaty of 500 or 600 pages needs to be translated into all European languages and ratified by the EP.