The United Kingdom and the European Union extended trade talks past the Sunday deadline, following a call between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Last week, the trade talks were extended until Sunday after negotiators failed to come to an agreement on Wednesday.
While several deadlines have been missed, and a new one has yet to be set, von der Leyen said it was “responsible to go the extra mile.”
“Despite the fact deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think it is responsible to go the extra mile”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says trade negotiations will continue
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— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) December 13, 2020
Negotiators will continue talks in Brussels in order “to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached,” she said.
Following the call, Johnson told the BBC that the U.K. “won’t be walking away” from the discussions.
“We’re still very far apart on some key things, but where there’s life, there’s hope. We’re going to keep talking to see what we can do,” he said.
The U.K. left the EU earlier this year but remains part of the economic bloc’s trade agreements until Jan. 1. Barring a deal by the end of the month, Britain will undergo a volatile “no-deal” exit, imposing overnight tariffs and other barriers between the U.K. and the EU.
In October, Johnson said that the U.K. is making preparations for a no-deal situation.
“After 45 years of membership, they are not willing, unless there’s some fundamental change of approach, to offer this country the same terms as Canada,” Johnson said at the time. “And so, with high hearts and with complete confidence, we will prepare to embrace the alternative. And we will prosper mightily as an independent, free-trading country.”
