Barnier Tells MEP's Talks Could Continue To Wednesday But No Later: RTE

Another substantial thread from RTE's Tony Connelly:

• "The EU's chief negotiator has told MEPs that negotiations on a post-Brexit deal could continue until Wednesday but no further.
• According to sources present, Michel Barnier also warned the UK that a deal would not be approved by member states if it pressed ahead with passing the Internal Market and the Finance Bills into law.
• He told the European Parliament's Brexit coordination committee this morning that US President Elect Joe Biden was also "sensitive" to any impact of UK law on the Good Friday Agreement.
• Mr Barnier told MEPs the talks were in the "endgame" and that there would have to be a decision on whether or not there was to be an agreement by Thursday.
• He said if there was no deal then the European Commission would be ready "to react immediately" with contingency plans, according to sources present.
• Mr Barnier described the UK Internal Market and Finance Bills, which would breach the Northern Ireland Protocol, as a "a real topic of concern" and a matter of trust. He suggested that the UK's reputation would suffer internationally if it violated an international agreement that it had signed.
• The EU would not be subject to threats or pressure as a result of the bills and the UK was mistaken if it thought the EU would move on its position within the negotiations as a result of the threats, he said.
• Mr Barnier said he believed the UK was waiting to see the outcome of any free trade agreement before deciding on the fate of both bills. He said that the EU UK Joint Committee was going to find "concrete, technical solutions" to the issues of concern around the NI Protocol. Any solutions, he told MEPs, would have to respect the Withdrawal Agreement."