EU may need to extend deadline for UK trade talks – Commission President von der Leyen

The EU may need to extend the deadline for talks about a new trade relationship with Britain, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. Both sides need to seriously think about whether there is enough time to negotiate a new trade deal and work out agreements about a series of other issues, she told French daily Les Echos in an interview published on Friday.

“It would be reasonable to evaluate the situation mid-year and then, if necessary, agree on extending the transition period,” she noted.

Britain has set a hard deadline of December 2020 for reaching a new trade deal with the EU, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move quickly to seal an accord, Reuters said.

Von der Leyen warned earlier this month that this timeframe is “extremely short” to discuss not only trade but also education, transport, fisheries and other issues.