BRUSSELS, 22 December, 2020, (TON): The European Union rejected the U.K.’s latest concessions on fishing, two officials said, dealing a setback to efforts to secure a post-Brexit trade deal. Bloomberg reported.

On Monday, the U.K. made an offer that would see value of the fish the EU catches in British waters shrink by 30%, according to people familiar with the discussions. Last week, the U.K. insisted the EU accept a 60% cut, but the bloc has refused to accept a reduction of more than 25%.

With only nine days left before the U.K. leaves the bloc’s single market and customs union with or without an agreement, there are few signs a deal is within reach.

The U.K. is also still opposed to the EU’s demand that the bloc should be able to impose retaliatory tariffs, particularly on energy, if Britain rows back on any fisheries deal, a concept known as cross-retaliation. The U.K. has said it is prepared to accept penalty tariffs on fish -- but not in other areas.

The European Commission is consulting member states on the British offer, and Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiator, is scheduled to brief their 27 ambassadors at about 4 p.m. in Brussels on Tuesday. It’s possible a compromise can still be reached, officials added.

Fishing has been one of the key sticking points in talks over a future UK and EU trade deal. The issue is highly charged for both Britain and for EU members with northern fishing fleets, such as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. EU fishermen fear that losing any access to the rich UK fishing waters will threaten their livelihoods.