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The EU is \u201cvery much up for the deal\u201d with the UK, Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said.<\/p>\nThe EU is \u201cvery much up for the deal\u201d with the UK, Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin was speaking after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that, unless there was \u201cfundamental change\u201d in the EU\u2019s approach, the UK would go for the \u201cAustralia solution\u201d, Downing Street language for no-deal, in the post-Brexit trade talks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not my read of the situation,\u201d the Taoiseach said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Europe is very much up for a deal and I think, judging by Michel Barnier\u2019s presentation to the European Council yesterday afternoon, my assessment would be that within that there clearly is room for a deal and there has been actually progress on quite a number of issues,” Mr Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, other chapters need to be closed off, and there are some outstanding key issues such as fisheries, governance and level playing field.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut from an objective analysis it would seem to me that anybody looking in would say, you know, there is the basis for an agreement. Clearly not an agreement at any price.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I would say to the UK Government and indeed, I\u2019m speaking as a member state of the European Union, we are quite clearly willing to engage and want to engage and I think the talks will continue next week and they should intensify on both sides, and there will have to be give and take.”<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said the leaders “owe it to the citizens that we represent to do everything we possibly can to get a sensible trade deal between the United Kingdom and Europe that would pave the way for a constructive and effective partnership into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The EU signaled on Thursday that it was willing to continue trade negotiations but called on Britain to make the next move.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin went on to urge the UK to continue for the \u201cbig prize\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBritain has an enormous amount to gain through access to the European single market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically the UK and Europe have very close relationships. Obviously it\u2019s been a member state for quite a long time now and therefore the nature of this type of negotiation is different perhaps to previous negotiations with third countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think to be fair to the European side they have taken that into account because essentially Britain has been offered zero-tariff, zero-quota access to the single market and to me a good deal is there to be done if you look at the big picture, in terms of jobs and protection of the economy and access to a huge market.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a big prize waiting there, in my view, for the UK economy and so I think it would make sense that the talks would continue next week and would be brought to a conclusion in the best interests of everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Martin also expressed concern on the fisheries issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been historic access rights for fishermen across Europe and vice versa for British fishermen to European waters. It\u2019s been a common fishery zone for quite a long long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so to disrupt that in any significant way, I think, would do a lot of injury damage economically to coastal communities, and indeed to fishermen and their families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to work with the UK government to find common cause in terms of protection of fish stocks and also protection of the viability of many fishing communities in the member states.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an issue that was felt very strongly last evening, up to eight to 10 countries particularly concerned about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar said it was in \u201call our interests\u201d that an agreement be reached.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Friday, he said: \u201cNegotiations are going to continue and they should continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s in all our interests across Europe and in the UK to secure a free trade agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a certain amount of posturing in and around negotiations, but I think it\u2019s in all our interests that we secure an agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s foreign affairs minister said on Thursday that a Brexit deal between the UK and the EU was \u201cin sight\u201d and could be reached by the start of November.<\/p>\n
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he believed an agreement would be made, despite the two sides being \u201cmiles apart\u201d on fisheries.<\/p>\n