In their statement, Mr Johnson and Ms Von der Leyen said they “welcomed the fact that progress has been achieved in many areas”. But, they added: “Nevertheless, significant differences remain on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries. Both sides underlined that no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved. “Whilst recognising the seriousness of these differences, we agreed that a further effort should be undertaken by our negotiating teams to assess whether they can be resolved.”