Brussels – EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has resumed work, almost four weeks after announcing he had contracted Covid-19, he announced on Twitter on Tuesday.
Barnier posted a photo of himself with his team in his Brussels office and said he was preparing for a video conference with his British counterpart David Frost on Wednesday, among other things.
During their call, the two sides are due to discuss the timeline for negotiations on a trade deal between the European Union and Britain, which left the bloc earlier this year.
The talks have been held up by the global coronavirus outbreak.
Until the end of the year, little changes in practice under a transition period negotiated between London and Brussels.
If the two sides fail to strike a deal by then, trade risks being hampered by customs duties, closer goods inspections and other barriers.
The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has issued a renewed call for an extension of the transition period, a move that London has so far rejected.
According to a DIHK survey, 58 per cent of firms fear a worsening of business ties with Britain this year.
“Companies could be overwhelmed by an unpredictable Brexit, on top of the impact of the coronavirus,’’ the employers’ organisation said.
(dpa/NAN)
