UK must move on fish, fair competition to enable trade deal - EU diplomat

Disagreements over fishing rights, settling disputes and economic fair play persist after weekend trade talks with Britain, an EU diplomat said on Monday.

The person, who spoke after an update by the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to the 27 member states, stressed getting the substance of any new UK pact right was more important for the bloc than putting an agreement in place in time before Britain's transition out of the EU completes on Dec. 31.

"On fair competition, as on fisheries in particular, the United Kingdom has not made the necessary choices," said the diplomat, who spoke under condition of anonymity. "In any case, the substance takes precedence over the schedule."