Boris Johnson will hold video talks with the presidents of the three major EU institutions on Monday. He will discuss the progress of trade negotiations in the meeting, ahead of Thursday's EU summit. The UK hopes that the Prime Minister will be able to secure commitments from the EU to intensify the talks in what is effectively his last chance to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period. EU sources claim that Britain wants to enter "tunnel" talks - Brussels jargon for secret discussions carried out under media blackout - in July, which Michel Barnier has ruled out, and UK sources deny. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator said on Wednesday that he hoped the "high-level meeting" would bring fresh political impetus to the trade talks, which are deadlocked over fishing rights and EU demands for level playing field guarantees. Rather than tunnel talks, the UK and EU have agreed to intensify negotiations in July after the high-level meeting. A UK spokesman said: "This new process will involve a mix of formal negotiating rounds and smaller group meetings, both in London and Brussels, assuming public health guidelines enable this." There will be talks every week between June 29 and July 27. UK officials said Britain wanted intensified talks in July, but not tunnel negotiations. "It remains to be seen if the EU is serious about making real progress next month," one source said. No 10 insists it will not ask for an extension, despite the risk of the UK leaving transition without a trade deal at the end of the year. Failure to secure a trade deal would mean trading on less lucrative World Trade Organisation terms, with tariffs, which would be less advantageous than the zero-tariff trade deal both sides are aiming for.
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