Britain seeks to push on with EU trade talks

Bloc chief to meet with Boris Johnson to discuss Brexit transition period

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to meet with the new president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen in London on Wednesday for the first post-election Brexit trade talks.

Johnson will push for more intense trade negotiations as fears within British government increase that the bloc will drag out talks to the end of the year and bring the nation toward yet another Brexit cliff-edge.

The visit of Von der Leyen comes ahead of the United Kingdom's formal departure from the European Union, which is expected to take place on Jan 31 pending approval from the UK and European parliaments.

The UK will become a third-party country on Jan 31 and will then have less than a year to clinch a trade deal, unless it requests an extension, which Johnson has vowed he will not do. During this transition period, the nation will stay in the EU's single market and customs union.

The Labour Party is expected to table an amendment this week that would extend the transition period by two years if the government were to fail to reach a free trade agreement by June.

But with the comfortable majority won at last month's general election, the prime minister will likely press his Brexit bill through the House of Commons by Thursday.

On Wednesday morning, Von der Leyen will speak at the London School of Economics on the EU's hope for a close relationship, before heading to Downing Street for her first face-to-face talks with Britain's prime minister. It will be Von der Leyen's first official visit to Britain after taking over from Jean-Claude Juncker in December.

As senior Brussels figures have suggested that securing a free trade agreement before the end of the year is something that is all but impossible, Johnson will use his meeting with Von Der Leyen to underscore the government's determination not to extend the transition period.

The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told MEPs last month: "It is unrealistic that a global negotiation can be done in 11 months, so we can't do it all. We will do all we can to get what I call the "vital minimum" to establish a relationship with the UK if that is the timescale."

On Feb 25, EU member states are due to adopt their negotiating position on issues such as trade in goods, fisheries, security and level-playing field demands. Negotiations on the future relationship are then expected to start in early March.

A summit of EU leaders in June, with which the UK will have no involvement, is expected to be a pivotal point in the negotiations. Security issues are expected to be a major focus of talks.

Meanwhile, Johnson is also under pressure to open negotiations on a bilateral trade deal with the United States this year, at the same time as rushing to complete an EU agreement. It has been suggested this approach would give the UK greater leverage.