Dispute mechanism is key sticking point in Brexit talks, says Von der Leyen

Commission president draws attention to less well-known area where two sides are at odds

Ursula von der Leyen has highlighted the UK's rejection of an all-encompassing punishment mechanism to keep it true to any Brexit deal with the EU as the emerging threat to an agreement, as a leaked document revealed Germany wants to draw up plans for no deal 2.0".

Despite the most recent mood music around the negotiations being positive, the European commission president sought to draw attention to one of the less well-known areas where the two sides are at loggerheads.