New: @MichelBarnier has given a "very downbeat" briefing to EU ambassadors on the state of play in the Brexit negotiations, @rtenews understands
2/ While there has been good progress on police and judicial cooperation, there has been no progress at all on the level playing field, fisheries and governance.
3/ In some of these areas Mr Barnier told diplomats that the UK had gone backwards on earlier understandings, such as the idea of a robust independent competition authority in the UK
4/ Mr Barnier was also adamant that on fisheries the EU wd expect reciprocal access to UK waters and a continuation of quota shares - ie, he was said to be highly irritated by press reports that the EU wd be prepared to park the issue of quotas and concede on access for EU fleets
5/ He is also said to have emphasised that the fishing arrangement has to be on a "stable" basis and not on an annual negotiation, which has been a UK demand. He said there was "very little progress" on the fish talks
6/ Mr Barnier said there was "no progress" on LPF - esp on the idea of non regression, where he said the UK had resiled from promises on environment, labour conditions, climate, tax. "There have been absolutely no positive developments" says one source.
7/ It's understood Mr Barnier believes the UK is "too relaxed" about the time frame, ie not taking account of the European Parliament's timetable to ratify the treaty, once it's legally scrubbed and translated etc
8/ He is said to have told diplomats that next week will therefore be "decisive" and that if there is no progress on the key issues we will be in a serious situation
10/ A source has said that this could be the darkest moment of the process, and that it could presage some light. However, the belief is that the UK is pressing for a grand bargain at the end involving fish and the level playing field, and this worries Mr Barnier.
6/
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Here is the rough transcript and story of @realDonaldTrump's NI envoy, his meeting with @simoncoveney and the alleged threat of the EU using aviation as leverage over the UK if the Internal Market Bill led to a hard border on the island of Ireland.
2/ Mr Mulvaney was talking to the @iiea via video link.
Asked about the concerns in the US over the IMB, which breaches the NI Protocol, Mr Mulvaney said that in his meetings with all sides his worry was that the Bill could result in a border “by accident”.
3/ He told the presentation: “The best response I got on the matter was from Simon Coveney when I met with him in Dublin.
Some compelling evidence at the NI Affairs Committee this morning on Brexit, the risks of smuggling, organised crime, the "soft underbelly" of the Irish border, the loss of the European Arrest Warrant and what might replace it
2/ Giving evidence were Simon Byrne, chief constable of the PSNI, Mark McEwan, assistant chief constable, Steve Rodhouse, of the UK National Crime Agency, and Steve Tracey, of HMRC. Here's the gist of what I've just filed for @rtenews online:
3/ A UK law officer has raised the prospect of intl organised criminals trafficking drugs, people + firearms into the UK via Ireland because of tighter controls at GB ports thanks to Brexit. He also suggested that Ireland may have to tighten security at its ports accordingly.
EU officials have downplayed reports of a breakthrough on fisheries in the Brexit negotiations.
"We have not yet found a solution on fisheries," said Dan Ferrie, a spokesman for Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator.
2/ "We are working for a stable, sustainable and long term agreement on fisheries, enabling the UK to further develop its fishing activities while ensuring the sustainable use of resources and protecting the fishing opportunities of European fishermen and women."
3/ This week Bloomberg reported that UK and EU were close to an agreement on fisheries. The report said a compromise was emerging whereby the quotas would be set according to "zonal attachment", and decisions on what quotas EU fleets cd catch wd be deferred until a later date.
European Commission spokes @DanielFerrie on the UK missing the deadline for a response to the EU's legal action on the Internal Market Bill: “We sent a letter of formal notice on 1 October to the UK for breaching its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement.
2/ “As you know it had until the end of the month to submit its observations to that letter. To date I can confirm that the EU has received no reply from the UK. Therefore we are considering next steps, including issuing a reasoned opinion.”
3/ [A “reasoned opinion” is the next stage in an infringement procedure taken by the European Commission.]
Re my earlier thread on the Irish govt pressing the European Commission & UK to allow NI exporters to continue benefitting from EU free trade agreements...
2/ It turns out Alliance MP @StephenFarryMP asked a parliamentary question on this on 5 October
3/ “To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made representations to the EU on enabling Northern Ireland-origin goods which can freely circulate within the EU single market to access EU trade agreements with third countries.”
New: The Irish govt has been pressing the EU and UK to allow NI exporters to benefit from existing and future EU free trade agreements, @rtenews understands.
2/ Under the NI Protocol, any goods produced in NI can circulate freely throughout the EU. However, those goods will not be recognised as EU goods for the purposes of being exported as part of existing EU free trade agreements (FTAs) due to country of origin rules
3/ in other words, goods produced in NI will be regarded as British rather than EU goods under WTO rules because NI will still be part of the UK Customs Territory.