EU's von der Leyen says positions in Brexit trade talks ‘apart’

BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday the positions in talks with Britain on a trade deal remained apart on the question of ensuring a level playing field in the future and access to UK fishing waters for EU fleets.

She said the two sides would decide on Sunday "whether we have conditions for an agreement, or not".

"One way or the other, in less than three weeks, it will be new beginnings for old friends," she told a news conference after an all night summit of the 27 national EU leaders.

She said the EU understood Britain wanted to be in control of its waters from 2021, but also stressed that London "must understand the legitimate expectations of EU fishing fleets" who have fished in UK waters for decades or longer.

"It is only fair that competitors to our own enterprises face the same conditions on our own market," she said of the EU's demand to keep equal production standards in the future should the bloc's market of 450 million consumers remain open to Britain.

"But this is not to say that we would require the UK to follow us every time we decide to raise our level of ambition... they would remain free - sovereign if you wish - to decide what they want to do. We would simply adapt the conditions for access to our market according to the decision of the United Kingdom, and this would apply vice versa."