BRUSSELS – With a deadline closing in quickly, the European Union's chief negotiator in trade talks with Britain said that talks between both sides on even a rudimentary deal still faced too many challenges to yield a result anytime soon. “At this stage, there are still too many difficulties remaining on important topics," EU negotiator Michel Barnier said as he was on his way to brief the envoys of the 27 member states on Wednesday.
His comments threw a dampener on optimistic reports that progress was being made at a rapid pace on issues such as fisheries rights, one of three remaining major topics that need a compromise solution if a deal is to be found before Jan.