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Barnier "This negotiations takes place in the middle of a global crisis. This crisis gives us the responsibility to find an agreement which limits the negative consequences of #Brexit."
Barnier "At the high-level meeting in June, @BorisJohnson told us he wanted to reach a deal quickly + 3 red lines; 1 - no role of ECJ; 2 - right in UK laws without constraints; 3- a deal on fisheries which is different to membership"
. @MichelBarnier adds "what @BorisJohnson says matters to the EU"
Barnier "Any international agreement means constraints on both parries, whether with the EU, the US or Japan"
Barnier "Over the past few weeks, the UK has not shown an interest to find a solution, respecting the EU's principles"
Barnier "We are still far away"
. @MichelBarnier "We have had useful talks on social security programmes and participation in EU programmes...we had good discussions on police and judicial co-operation"
Barnier "On transport and energy we had good discussions although the UK continues to want single-market like access"
Barnier "There must be a level playing field on state aid and standards, in particular for our businesses. This is a core interest for the EU"
Barnier "We have to find a long-term agreement on fisheries"
. @MichelBarnier "We have been making these points since the beginning of this year. They were made in the political agreement and were part and parcel of the deal we agreed with @BorisJohnson 8 months ago. Again, what Johnson says, matters to us"
Barnier "On fisheries, the UK still refuses to commit. On level playing field, there has been no progress; on state aid, the time for answers is quickly running out"
"On climate and environmental law, the UK continues to refuse to rule out under-cutting standards"
Barnier "We want to trade with the UK tariff and quota free but we need fairness and we cannot have disadvantages for our businesses in the EU"
. @MichelBarnier "The EU will not foot the bill for the UK's political choices"
Barnier "The UK's position on fisheries is unacceptable. Common stocks needs to be managed jointly in line with international law. Any agreement, cannot lead to the partial destruction of the EU's fishing industry"
. @MichelBarnier "We have always said that any agreement has to have a deal on LPF + fisheries."
BREAKING: Barnier "The UK's position therefore makes a deal, at this stage, unlikely"
. @MichelBarnier "The UK will leave the single market in a little over 5 months. At the EU side we have agreed €5bn to address those sectors worst affected by #Brexit"
Barnier "Obviously, if we do not reach an agreement on our future relationship, there will be far more friction. There will be tariffs and there will be quotas. This is the truth of Brexit"
Barnier "If we want to reach an agreement, then we need to get a deal by October, to be in place by 1 January next year...we also have little time left to implement the withdrawal agreement."
. @MichelBarnier "There is no grace period for the implementation of the N Ireland protocol".
Barnier "I want to re-affirm the EU's willingness to reach an ambitious agreement in all areas, including later on in security and defence. This is also the wish of @vonderleyen @eucopresident the European parliament and the member states.
Barnier adds that he will be back in London next week and a further round is foreseen for mid-August.
Q&A now starts
Barnier "When we are talking about state aid, this is a very important issue for this as its about open and fair competition, not just for businesses but also for consumers"
. @MichelBarnier "In the EU, we have a state-aid system which is well known and the UK knows it well but we need to know what the UK's state aid position is going to be"
Barnier "We are in a very difficult negotiation. I don't believe in brinkmanship in such difficult negotiations. It is too difficult to engage in something like that"
Barnier "We do not have time for such games like Brinkmanship"
Barnier "There is a risk of no deal."
Barnier "We are prepared to negotiate to the very end"
Barnier "One thing which is true is that I have never been enthusiastic about Brexit - nobody has ever been able to show me the added value but that is where we are. It has been 4 years that I have been on these negotiations and I am working towards a deal"
Barnier "This is about translating what has been agreed politically into a legal agreement"
Barnier "We cannot agree everything that is printed in the press. Neither @DavidGHFrost nor I have ever talked about abandoning the talks. There has been real progress in some areas"
Barnier "One of the consequences about the UK's request about the ECJ will mean less co-operation in police and judicial affairs"
. @MichelBarnier "On the protocol on N Ireland, the text has been ratified and approved by both sides and now it is about putting it in place."
Barnier "Our joint responsibility is to preserve peace on the island of Ireland"
. @MichelBarnier "If the UK's positions do not move then a trade deal will come improbable or hard to achieve."
Barnier "I hope that the UK positions change and move in the right direction"
Barnier "We have to prepare ourselves for changes which will happen under all circumstances as of 1 January next year"
Barnier "I am not working towards any low-quality agreement, We are working towards a high-quality agreement"
. @MichelBarnier "The earlier we could include a deal, the better. We are working towards a text of 500-600 pages. The blame-game, we know this will and I have never been impressed by it - whoever plays it, is wasting their own time"
Barnier "We respect the UK's positions. They have to respect ours"
. @MichelBarnier "I have a lot of respect for @DavidGHFrost and his team, who are very competent."
Barnier "We will be meeting again next week and then again in the week of 17 August"
And the press conference comes to an end /ENDS
