EU Commission says conditions for UK access to EU market still not there

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union wants to give Britain access to its single market of 450 million consumers, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, but conditions for that access must be fair and are still not met.

“I had a very long conversation last night with (British) Prime Minster Boris Johnson. It was a good conversation but it is difficult,” von der Leyen said before talks with EU leaders at which she will inform them on progress in reaching a trade deal wit Britain.

“We are willing to grant access to our single market to our British friends, it is the largest single market in the world, but the conditions have to be fair… for our workers and out companies,” she said.

“This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far. We will take a decision on Sunday,” she said.

Von der Leyen said that a compromise with Poland and Hungary on the EU budget and the rule of law would finally allow the 1.8 trillion euro EU budget and recovery package to move forward.

“I am glad that we have found a way forward and that the conditionality mechanism has remained unchanged this is for me crucial and I hope we can now get the package of 1.8 trillion moving forward,” she said.