From the Centre for European Reform, this is the CER podcast.

It is a critical moment.

If we do not act with urgency, we would then severely undermine the liberal order.

Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it.

The wind is back in Europe's states.

We have now a window of opportunity, but it will not stay open forever.

Welcome everybody to this new Centre for European Reform podcast on the State of the Brexit Talks.

I'm Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, and I'm talking today with my colleague Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow and a great expert on trade matters.

We're going to discuss where we think the Brexit talks have got to, where they're going to go and what might be the possible outcome. And we're talking on the day in fact when Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister,

is meeting three European presidents of the Commission, Council and Parliament in Brussels,

but we don't expect the outcome of that meeting to make what we're saying particularly out of date

because we think these talks are moving very, very slowly indeed. Let's start off with an overview, Sam. I think you like me suspect that

a deal is still quite possible, despite all the negative briefings and the angst we hear from both

sides. Why do you think a deal might in the end be possible, given that the two sides seem to be so

very far apart on so many issues.

I think a deal is still possible because fundamentally it is in both the UK and EU's interest

to have a structured ongoing relationship and to avoid barriers to trade where possible. And I think when you see, look at the fundamental

differences as they stand. So these would be differences over the level playing field provisions.

This is the areas where the EU has asked the UK to either commit not to roll back existing

levels of protections, as is the case for labour and

environment, or to continue to follow EU rules as is the case for state aid, but also disagreements

over fishing, over the structure of the agreement, over the role of the Court of Justice.

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