Brexit Negotiation Rounds From 2020

After four rounds of videoconference Brexit negotiations taken place in Brussels and Londonin March, April, May and June, the results are quite disappointing, at least according to officialstatements delivered by Michel Barnier, the European Commission's chief negotiator, after eachround. Ensuring the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declarationremains only a desideratum and progress on the 11 areas of negotiation is modest. Divergences havepersisted, in particular in the area of trade agreement, the provision of a level playing field or fair andundistorted competition, judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters, the governance of thefuture agreement, and on fisheries. The United Kingdom rejected the idea of extending the transitionperiod, and implicitly further negotiations, as well as concluding a single agreement, with a generalgovernance structure. Britain's exit without an agreement and the failure to negotiate a futurepartnership to limit the negative consequences of Brexit seem like possible scenarios.