No-deal Brexit could be second shock for Europe in 2020

JUST as Europe gets over the peak of the novel coronavirus health crisis, a second major "shock" could be on the horizon: A new Brexit crisis is brewing between London and Brussels that could see talks collapse in May or June.

Late last week, European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan warned the United Kingdom that it needs "to get on with the job" if there is to be a deal by the end of the year. With a new round of talks starting Monday and lasting till Friday, and not expected to make major progress, he said June's stock-take would be "critical".

By common consent of both sides, little progress has been made since negotiations for a new trade deal began in March. There remain big gaps in positions, such as the EU's demand for guarantees of fair competition (so-called "level playing field" provisions) that have been rejected by the UK, fisheries policy, guarantees on personal data protection, the UK's request for continued access to the EU police and border database, the Schengen Information System; and how any deal would be enforced.