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DECEMBER 10, 2020 2:00 AM UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

EU unveils back-up plans to avoid 'no-deal' Brexit chaos

By Robin Emmott, Alistair Smout
4 MIN READ

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) -The European Union’s executive on Thursday laid out contingency plans for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit at the end of the year to limit disruption to air traffic, and road and rail travel after talks between British and EU leaders failed to break an impasse.

The European Commission also proposed that Britain and the EU continue to offer reciprocal access to their fishing waters for up to a year, potentially easing tension around one of the most emotive sticking points in the trade negotiations.

Britain told the EU earlier it should make significant concessions to break the deadlock by the end of the weekend for clarity about the finale to the five-year-old Brexit crisis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU’s chief executive, Ursula von der Leyen, gave themselves until Sunday to decide on their next steps after failing to overcome persistent rifts over a “lively” dinner of turbot on Wednesday.

“There’s still clearly some scope to keep talking but there are significant points of difference that remain,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC TV, adding that both sides needed to take stock at the weekend.

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