EU warns of possible delays to Brexit talks, London confident of schedule

[webfact]

EU warns of possible delays to Brexit talks, London confident of schedule

By Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska

 

FILE PHOTO: European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier addresses a news conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 12, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Talks between Britain and the European Union on their future relationship are now less likely to start in October, the EU's top negotiator has said, due to a lack of progress on Brexit divorce issues so far, EU officials said.

 

The EU's top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Wednesday briefed ambassadors from the 27 countries that will remain in the EU after Britain leaves in March 2019 on the outcome of the July round of the monthly divorce talks with London last week.

 

"He said the likelihood of starting the future relationship talks in October appeared to be decreasing," one EU official involved in the Brexit talks said.

 

Britain's Brexit government department responded by saying it was confident it would make enough progress by October to move on to talks about the future relationship with the bloc.

 

"We have already made good progress on a number of issues, ... government officials are working at pace, and we are confident we will have made sufficient progress by October to advance the talks to the next phase," a spokesman for the department said.

 

Barnier had earlier hoped that sufficient progress on the key divorce issues -- a financial settlement, citizens rights and a solution for a non-physical border between Northern Ireland and Ireland -- could be made by October.

 

This would allow EU leaders to give their consent to starting talks with London on the main aspects of the relationship after Brexit -- a discussion Britain is keen to start as soon as possible to provide more clarity to businesses.

 

But with no progress on the financial settlement except Britain's general admission that it would owe the EU an unspecified amount, and little to no real progress on other issues, the odds of a future trade relationship discussion starting in two months are declining.

 

"On the financial settlement, we have been clear that we recognise the UK has obligations to the EU and that the EU also has obligations to the UK," the Brexit department spokesman said.

 

EU officials said progress was difficult not because Britain had unacceptable demands, but because it had no position at all on many issues.

 

"Barnier expressed concerns that sufficient progress in October looked difficult now. Mainly because Britain has no position on finances, but also because they don't have positions on other issues as well," a second EU official said.

 

"The more they drag on, the less time is left for (the) second phase and special relationship they want," the second official said.

 

The EU's rough estimate is that Britain may owe it around 60 billion euros after it leaves in various legal commitments London has made as a member of the bloc, but talks are to focus on the methodology of calculation rather than the sum itself.

 

"There has still been no kick-off on money, Britain still refuses to accept anything – either the methodology, or the sum. This blocs everything else, there won’t be any real progress over the next two months, clearly that won’t create grounds for opening phase two on trade," a third EU diplomat said.

 

"On citizens' acquired rights, it’s a mixed picture. We have a list of things we agree on, disagree on and are some way in between. But that at least allows us to negotiate," the third official added.

 

Diplomats said that on Ireland, talks have not moved beyond restating positions that have already been presented in public.

 

"They have actually not discussed the Irish border in any detail, there were no technical talks at all," a fourth official said.

 

The next round of talks is scheduled for late August.

 

(Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan in London; Reporting by Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Catherine Evans and Hugh Lawson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-28

[terryw]

The EU need our money to meet their budget commitments. EU citizens rights, the Irish border etc. are minor problems. 

 

We plan to leave in March 2019, but the current EU budget period continues into 2020. A simple solution could be that we get a trade deal if we pay into their budget for an extra year. However, the problem is that the EU has never liked simple solutions.

[rockingrobin]

1 hour ago, terryw said:

The EU need our money to meet their budget commitments. EU citizens rights, the Irish border etc. are minor problems. 

 

We plan to leave in March 2019, but the current EU budget period continues into 2020. A simple solution could be that we get a trade deal if we pay into their budget for an extra year. However, the problem is that the EU has never liked simple solutions.

I understand the Irish are refusing a land border , and talking about a border at sea

[dunroaming]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

But with no progress on the financial settlement except Britain's general admission that it would owe the EU an unspecified amount, and little to no real progress on other issues, the odds of a future trade relationship discussion starting in two months are declining.

The unspecified amount is the sticking point at the moment.   Once that can be agreed then the talks can progress.  Hammond has said today that the transition period could be as long as three years.  They really are in a mess over Brexit and haven't got a clue how to get anything positive from the result or even move it forward.  The EU are saying that the UK need to get on with it, the clock is ticking.  

[Retiredandhappyhere]

The UK is not in a mess over Brexit, they are in the process of negotiating.  Yes, they could agree to pay the absurd 60 to 100 million Euros being demanded as a price for future negotiations on trade, but why should they when the EU have not given any idea of what the trade relationship might be?  The EU negotiators are determined to put the UK in a bad light in these negotiations, but what are they offering the UK?  If I had to put my money on who are the better diplomats and negotiators, the UK or the EU, it would be on the UK, despite all the negative comments on this forum by people who know no more about the negotiation details than anyone, outside of the people directly involved.

 

Of course, initially, the UK's trading position outside the EU will be difficult, but as they have done many times before in very difficult circumstances, they will come through and all the doom and gloom merchants will end up being very disappointed. 

[dunroaming]

7 minutes ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

Of course, initially, the UK's trading position outside the EU will be difficult, but as they have done many times before in very difficult circumstances, they will come through and all the doom and gloom merchants will end up being very disappointed. 

Why should we have to go through difficult times at all?  Just what is Brexit going to achieve?  I accept that it is happening but I really cannot see any positives given the things that the UK have conceded so far.

[Baerboxer]

32 minutes ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

The UK is not in a mess over Brexit, they are in the process of negotiating.  Yes, they could agree to pay the absurd 60 to 100 million Euros being demanded as a price for future negotiations on trade, but why should they when the EU have not given any idea of what the trade relationship might be?  The EU negotiators are determined to put the UK in a bad light in these negotiations, but what are they offering the UK?  If I had to put my money on who are the better diplomats and negotiators, the UK or the EU, it would be on the UK, despite all the negative comments on this forum by people who know no more about the negotiation details than anyone, outside of the people directly involved.

 

Of course, initially, the UK's trading position outside the EU will be difficult, but as they have done many times before in very difficult circumstances, they will come through and all the doom and gloom merchants will end up being very disappointed. 

 

Of course - their job is to get the very best deal for the EU. That means extracting as much money out of the UK as possible; and getting as many concessions as possible on all issues that are important to them. 

 

They are trying to do this by taking control of the process (how very German) and then make outrageous demands that must be satisfied before moving on (how very French).

 

The problem is we don't know what the negotiating plans and skills are off the British contingent. But up to now, they are either numbties or playing a very shrewd game yet to be revealed.

 

But nobody really expected this to end well, did they?

[dunroaming]

The EU and the UK will both try to negotiate for the best deal they can.  Question then is who needs who more than the other.  Britain decided to leave and that puts them on the back foot and they will have to accept that they cannot call the shots.  The EU can see that Britain is weakened by all the in-fighting and they are unlikely to give much ground if any at all.

[tomacht8]

Let the British go. It is the only opportunity for the EU to reform itself in a semi-solidarity system that is not based exclusively on an economic club understanding. The British always wanted their economic advantage here ... they rejected everything else. They are, therefore, the true blockers of a united and solidarity EU. Brexit will prove to be a stroke of luck for the EU in many years.

[i claudius]

18 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Let the British go. It is the only opportunity for the EU to reform itself in a semi-solidarity system that is not based exclusively on an economic club understanding. The British always wanted their economic advantage here ... they rejected everything else. They are, therefore, the true blockers of a united and solidarity EU. Brexit will prove to be a stroke of luck for the EU in many years.

there will not be an E.U in many years ,the whole farce is doomed , as more countrys ,like Poland refuse to do as their told by the unelected troughers in Brussels ,and the tidal wave of economic migrants overwhelms them .

Edited July 28, 2017 by i claudius

[tomacht8]

3 minutes ago, i claudius said:

there will not be an E.U in many years ,the whole farce is doomed , as more countrys ,like Poland refuse to do as their told by the unelected troughers in Brussels ,and the tidal wave of economic migrants overwhelms them .

After brexit this will not be a problem for the British then. 

[i claudius]

12 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

After brexit this will not be a problem for the British then. 

Amen to that .

[i claudius]

More problems for the EU Macron is showing his true left wing side ,he wants to take over hotels to put up all the economic migrants(sorry children and refugees)  in France , how about putting up your own homeless first?

[rockingrobin]

10 minutes ago, i claudius said:

More problems for the EU Macron is showing his true left wing side ,he wants to take over hotels to put up all the economic migrants(sorry children and refugees)  in France , how about putting up your own homeless first?

To be fair, he also is proposing to set up bases in Libya to process asylum cases