AFP, Brussels :
Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday signalled there was a “narrow path” to a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, as key sticking points remain after both sides abandoned a supposed make-or-break deadline.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula van der Leyen pledged on Sunday to “go the extra mile” as they side-stepped the self-imposed cut-off point to end talks if there was no progress towards a pact.
Britain left the EU on January 31 after five decades of integration, but a transition period during which it remains bound by the bloc’s rules ends on December 31.
Without a post-Brexit deal, Britain’s trade with its biggest market would in future operate on pared-down World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, including tariffs and quotas.
