Yahoo Finance 'Huge and serious' differences remain in Brexit talks
EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier has warned “huge and serious” differences remain over key issues in negotiations.
The French politician also called for “workable and realistic” proposals from the UK over the future relationship in order to meet the October deadline for a Brexit deal.
“On Brexit, we have made progress but huge and serious divergences remain – in particular on Ireland and Northern Ireland,” he said.
Barnier spoke as he arrived at the European Council meeting in Brussels, where leaders of the other 27 EU states gave their verdict on Brexit talks.
They were locked in talks until 5am this morning over a new migration policy, but it took just one minute for the 27 to agree a joint statement on Brexit.
MORE: Theresa May ‘confident’ of getting Brexit deal despite EU concerns over Cabinet split
“The European Council expresses its concern that no substantial progress has yet been achieved on agreeing a backstop solution for Ireland/Northern Ireland,” it said.
Barnier said he had invited the UK government to begin the next round of talks on Monday. It later transpired that the UK had rejected the offer and Barnier’s televised offer was an effort to force their arm.
European Council president Donald Tusk said “quick progress” was needed in order to reach a deal by October.
“This is the last call to lay the cards on the table,” he said.
French president Emmanuel Macron wouldn’t speculate when asked whether a deal would be achieved.
He said: “It’s not in our hands. It’s all in the hands of the Prime Minister [Theresa May].
“We had a meeting together, the 27 of us, and we had no British proposal on the table.”
Substantial progress is unlikely until Theresa May’s meet at Chequers next week to agree proposals for the future relationship with the EU that will published in a white paper.
“I want to see the negotiations accelerating and intensifying thereafter,” said May as she left Brussels in the early hours.
Of the white paper, Barnier said: “I hope it will contain workable and realistic proposals.”
He stressed that the EU would protect the “integrity of the single market” and the “indivisibility of the four freedoms.”
That could be read a slap down to reports that UK ministers are considering a plan to remain in a single market for goods only.
May’s plans for the post-Brexit arrangements over security cooperation have also met resistance.
In a speech at the summit dinner last night, the Prime Minister warned EU plans to lock the UK out of security databases after Brexit would “put at risk” safety of European citizens.
The EU says the UK cannot have access because it won’t be bound by the same rights and standards.
MORE: May warns EU plans ‘put at risk’ post-Brexit security cooperation
For example, the government is planning to axe the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights after Brexit.
Barnier said today that the “respect of the fundamental rights of EU citizens” was “key for our future co-operation on security.”
Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel said of May’s speech: “We shouldn’t have an escalation on who will be the biggest loser in this thing.”
When the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar was asked what he thought of the speech, he replied: “There was a speech?”
The UK government’s press team were forced to confirm that the speech did indeed take place.
