European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today, “we are on the very last mile” on Brexit trade negotiations. “We want a level playing field, not only at the start but also over time … this is the architecture that we are building,” she said. “We’re fine about the architecture itself but the details, do they really fit?”
“We’re of course aware that time is short. The more time that goes by the less likely it is that we will have a deal in place on the first of January, that’s just a statement of fact,” Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie told a news briefing separately, “I cannot say what may or may not happen over these days. But what I can say, though, is that we are fully dedicated to trying to reach a deal with the UK.”