Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU is willing to be “creative” to get a deal with the UK, as she counselled MEPs that European interests would be served by the bloc’s leaders backing any compromise that emerges.
While warning in a speech to the European parliament that she was unable to guarantee that a trade and security deal would be struck in the “very little time ahead of us”, the European commission president said she trusted in Michel Barnier’s “skilful steer”.
Physical talks are on hold after a member of the EU negotiating team tested positive for coronavirus but the EU’s chief negotiator is expected to leave quarantine on Friday and head to London for a last-ditch push for an agreement.
“These are decisive days for negotiations with the United Kingdom,” Von der Leyen told MEPs. “But, frankly, I cannot tell you today if in the end, there will be a deal.”
There is concern among some key member states, however, that the UK is successfully pushing the commission into making concessions that will give British businesses an advantage in the marketplace over the decades to come.
She offered assurances that the commission’s negotiating team was being open-minded as to how to bridge the gaps between the two sides, but that they were holding firm on key principles.
“We will do all in our power to reach an agreement. We’re ready to be creative,” she said. “But we are not ready to put into question the integrity of the single market, the main safeguard for European prosperity and wealth.”
Von der Leyen said legal texts on judicial and social security coordination, trade in goods and services and transport were almost finalised. “However, there’s still three issues that can make the difference between a deal and no deal,” she added.
She said fishing communities needed “predictability” from year to year over access to British waters, in a reference to Downing Street’s wish to hold annual negotiations over catches in UK seas, with the option of blocking access.
On state aid, Von der Leyen said the EU was seeking a mechanism through which any breach of agreed principles controlling domestic subsidies could be swiftly remedied.
The EU is also seeking a mechanism to ensure that there are consequences for either side within the trade deal if standards diverge over time.
“Significant difficulties remain on the question, how we can secure now, and over time, our common high standards on labour on social rights on the environment, the climate change and tax transparency,” Von der Leyen said. “We want to know what remedies are available in case one side will deviate in the future. Because trust is good, but law is better.”
She said the talks were in their “decisive days”, adding: “It is when we negotiate hard, and then stick to the compromise found that we move forward fast.”
EU leaders are due to meet on 10 December. The European parliament is due to hold a special session on 28 December to give its consent to a deal. However, any agreement would need to be finalised in the coming days to allow time for legal and parliamentary scrutiny and translation.