Reuters reports that Michel Barnier, the European Union's Brexit negotiator, said that sealing a new trade pact with Britain was still possible and that negotiations are continuing to attempt to solve rifts over access to UK fishing waters and rules of economic fair play for companies.

"A good, balanced agreement. That means two conditions which aren't met yet. Free and fair competition... and an agreement which guarantees reciprocal access to markets and waters. And it's on these points that we haven't found the right balance with the British. So we keep working," Barnier said.