Macron unsure of EU-UK deal by end of year

French president Emmanuel Macron has said he is not sure a UK-EU trade deal will be signed by the end of the post-Brexit transition period, which is by 31 December.
His comments come as the UK signalled it would publish its mandate for the trade deal later this week. The UK is expected to reiterate its hope for a Canada-style deal. Under the EU-Canada deal, import tariffs on most goods have been eliminated between the two sides.
Macron also said negotiations starting in March will be “tense”, with fishing rights a key point of contention: “I am not sure that an agreement will be reached between now and the end of the year. Anyway, it is going to become more tense because the British are very hard”, Macron said at a meeting with fishermen.
The UK’s maritime territories are particularly rich in fish stocks. France and several other countries want to keep fishing in UK’s waters, while the UK wants full autonomy and limited access for European fishermen. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has said the EU’s top priorities are fishing, security and fair trading conditions for EU companies.
Macron stressed that fishing rights could be a sticking point in negotiations. French fishing boats generate 30% of their revenue from catches in British maritime territories.