London, September 7: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday has given a deadline of October 15 for a post-Brexit trade agreement with the European Union. Boris Johnson's decision put an end to reports of "no-deal" chaos if talks fail. This week, the eighth round of negotiations have resumed in London. According to reports, during the negotiations, both the parties adopted a tough stand.

In an interview published in a British newspaper, the UK's chief negotiator, David Frost promised no compromise on London's red lines. Meanwhile, Michel Barnier, European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom since November 2019, accused Britain of not finalising deal on EU access to UK fishing waters. Brexit: UK Leaves The European Union, New Era Begins For Britain.

"There needs to be an agreement with our European friends by the time of the European Council on October 15 if it's going to be in force by the end of the year," reported global news agency AFP quoting excerpts of Johnson's statement. Reports also surfaced that Johnson was also planning new UK legislation aimed at overriding parts of the withdrawal agreement made with the EU last year.

As per a report published in the Financial Times, the new bill would eliminate the legal force of arrangements over customs in Northern Ireland which had been designed to avoid a hard border with the Irish Republic. It would also override provisions on state aid - the financial assistance sometimes given by the government to companies. UK Intelligence Committee Report Says 'Difficult, Not Impossible' to Prove Russia's Meddling in 2016 Brexit Referendum.

Britain formally quit the 27-member bloc on January 31. Johnson took over as the British PM after Theresa May failed to get Brexit. The UK is still following the bloc's rules until the transition period, which will end on December 31 and enable a permanent future trade deal to be reached. During this period, the UK would have to pay into EU funds but have no say in laws imposed by Brussels.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2020 01:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).