Ar ddiwedd yr ail rownd lawn o drafodaethau, roedd hi’n amlwg bod gwahaniaethau mawr yn dal i fod rhwng y ddwy ochr, fel yr eglurodd Michel Barnier mewn sylwadau diweddar. Dyma rai o’r gwahaniaethau mwyaf: amharodrwydd Llywodraeth y DU i gytuno i safonau economaidd, cymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol cyffredin y mae’r UE yn mynnu ddylai fod yn sail i’r cytundeb masnach di-dariff, di-gwota a ragwelir; y ffaith bod Llywodraeth y DU yn gwrthod unrhyw rôl i Lys Cyfiawnder yr Undeb Ewropeaidd mewn perthynas ag agweddau ar y berthynas yn y dyfodol; barn Llywodraeth y DU y dylai yna fod sawl cytundeb ar wahân yn hytrach nag un cytundeb cyffredinol sef yr hyn a ffefrir gan yr UE; a hawliau pysgota. Ymddengys nad oes llawer o gynnydd wedi bod tuag at ddatrys y gwahaniaethau sylfaenol hyn er ein bod nawr hanner ffordd rhwng cyhoeddi’r mandadau negodi a’r terfyn amser hollbwysig ddiwedd mis Mehefin (sef, o dan delerau’r Cytundeb Ymadael, y cyfle olaf i gytuno ar estyniad i’r cyfnod pontio).
At the end of the second full round of talks, there were clearly major differences remaining between the two sides as outlined by Michel Barnier in recent comments. The largest areas of difference include: the UK Government’s unwillingness to sign up to a ‘level playing field’ of economic, social and environmental standards which the EU insists should underpin the envisaged zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal; the UK Government’s rejections of any role for the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to aspects of the future relationship; the UK Government’s position that there should be multiple separate agreements as opposed to the EU’s preference for one overarching agreement; and fishing rights. There seems to have been little, if any, progress in resolving these fundamental differences despite the fact we are now half way between the publication of negotiating mandates and the critical end of June date (which under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement is the last point at which an extension to the transition period can be agreed).