EU pressures Britain on Brexit talks

European officials made it clear Monday that a Brexit deal is far from imminent.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier briefed EU foreign ministers in Brussels on the state of the talks.
The Financial Times reports that Mr Barnier told ministers from the EU’s remaining 27 member states that “the parameters of a possible agreement are very largely defined” but still need political endorsement.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed witness to the meeting as saying that Mr Barnier had told the ministers: “As of this moment, this agreement is still not reached. As in any negotiation, the final stretch is always the most difficult.

“On the basis of our common efforts, the parameters of a possible agreement are very largely defined. On the British side, the Cabinet will meet tomorrow to examine these parameters.”

Ahead of the meeting, officials warned not to expect any significant progress immediately, a position underlined by some foreign ministers on their way into the session.

“We have time, but not so much,” Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders told reporters. “For this month it’s very difficult to make real progress, but before Christmas I’m hoping that it will be possible.”

For some representatives of the EU27 governments, Barnier’s briefing is confirmation that progress has been limited. There were “no high hopes so in this respect it was rather gloomy,” said one senior official from an EU27 member country.

Representatives of the EU governments asked “for more on preparedness,” the official added, referring to planning for a scenario in which the U.K. leaves the European Union without agreeing a deal at all.

But speaking after Barnier’s presentation, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told reporters this is “a very important week for Brexit negotiations” and that “the two negotiating teams have really intensified their engagement.”

Agreeing a backstop, a contingency plan designed to keep an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland until the UK and EU settle their future relationship, has been a key obstacle in the way of a wider withdrawal deal being reached between the two sides.

Mrs May has called for a UK-wide backstop measure rather than the Northern Ireland-only provision proposed by the EU.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We have made good progress in the negotiations in relation to the withdrawal agreement but there are substantial issues still to be overcome in relation to the Northern Irish backstop.”

Wednesday is now seen as a hard deadline for any agreement to be put to an EU summit this month. Otherwise it faces a delay until next month, forcing billions to be spent on urgent no-deal preparations.

No agenda for tomorrow’s weekly Cabinet meeting was issued to senior ministers before the weekend, suggesting Mrs May was aiming for a breakthrough in time to present a plan for approval.

If talks succeed, a legal text running to 500 pages, setting out withdrawal terms, will be presented.

A separate text is expected to outline a political agreement on future trade and relations, with the final deal subject to more negotiations.