⁍ Britain left the EU last January and is locked in negotiations on a new trade deal.


⁍ EU national leaders will assess the state of play at a summit next month.


⁍ Negotiations have stumbled over fisheries, fair competition and settling disputes.


– With less than two years to go until Britain is due to leave the European Union, there’s still no deal on the terms of the divorce—or on how to deal with the so-called “backstop” that’s meant to prevent the re-creation of a physical border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Ireland, which is part of the EU. The so-called “backstop” is one of the main sticking points, and the EU has warned that Britain will be in violation of international law if it pushes ahead with a bill that would allow it to stay in the EU customs union and single market, reports the BBC. The EU has warned that if the bill is passed, it “would constitute an extremely serious violation of the Withdrawal Agreement and of international law.” The UK—which is due to leave the EU in March—wants the so-called “backstop” to be removed, but the EU says it can’t be. The Irish border issue is one of the biggest remaining issues between the UK and the EU, and the EU has warned that if no deal is reached, there will be no transition period to allow time for the issues to be worked out. Reuters reports that trade talks resume in Brussels on Tuesday.



Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu/eu-and-britain-far-apart-as-key-week-of-brexit-talks-begins-idUSKBN26J1IX