France has threatened to veto a bad Brexit deal as trade negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom resume on Friday.
“I want to tell our fishermen, our producers, the citizens who are listening that we will not accept a deal with bad terms,” French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told Europe 1 radio.
“If a good agreement cannot be reached, we will oppose it. Each country has a veto right, so it is possible,” he said. “We will do our own evaluation of this draft deal, if there is one.”
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While talks are set to resume, however, a senior UK official has said that the odds of a breakthrough are “receding,” BBC reports.
The UK officially left the EU at the end of January 2020, but until the new year, it remains part of the EU’s customs union and internal market in a transition phase until the end of the year.
The lack of a deal could severely impact the economies of both the EU and the UK, as World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules would apply. WTO rules will mean higher tariffs and extensive customs controls.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
