Brexit - Q&A from the press briefing (3 December 2020)

Q : Does France think an agreement on Brexit is close, or do you fear a no-deal is more likely at this stage?

A : I refer you to the Prime Minister’s statements on Brexit today.

We are in a decisive phase of the negotiations on the future of the partnership with the United Kingdom.

Time is short, because EU law will stop applying to UK territory on 31 December, the date when the transition period ends. So there is very little time left to achieve an agreement allowing us to define the practicalities of the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, on trade but also in many other areas like security and access to the waters by our fishermen.

But the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain. The EU has made the necessary gestures to reach a compromise. It’s up to the British to make sufficient movement to achieve an agreement on the main sticking points, especially fisheries and conditions for fair competition.

We’d like an agreement with the British, but we won’t give way on our demands, because we want an agreement that respects the EU’s principles and our interests, and those of our businesses and citizens.