Leading EU politicians comment on crunch time for Brexit negotiations
238 views · Published 22 October 2018 · 3:30 · Indexed 1 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(17 Oct 2018) Liberal party members met in Brussels ahead of a EU Summit that will gather the 28 again to discuss the future of the Union as Brexit looms. EU leaders have already dismissed British Prime Minister Theresa May's proposal for the border and future trade relations as unworkable. But when the prime minister was asked in the House of Commons whether the British blueprint for an amicable exit was dead, May replied: "The answer is no." Wednesday had long been billed as the "moment of truth" in the two-year divorce process but after talks fell apart over the weekend with a conclusion seemingly in sight, it now looks much more like a therapeutic political bonding session than an occasion to celebrate a deal. EU Council President Donald Tusk told May in the run-up to the summit that "creative" thinking from Britain is required to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, the issue that has brought divorce talks to a standstill. Britain leaves the EU on 29 March, but a deal must be sealed soon so parliaments have time to give their verdict. May plans to accentuate the positives by stressing how much progress has been made in many areas when she addresses the other 27 EU leaders Wednesday before they have dinner without her. At present the two sides are proposing that Britain remain inside the EU single market and be bound by its rules from the time it leaves the bloc in March until December 2020, to give time for new trade relations to be set up. Many suspects that will not be enough time, which has led the EU to demand a "backstop" to ensure there are no customs posts or other controls along the currently invisible border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Disagreement over the backstop has brought divorce negotiations to a standstill. Britain and the EU say they are hopeful of progress in the next few weeks, pushing the timeline for a deal into November, or even December, when another EU summit is scheduled. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9899c2e5ddf6fdc9e0fd72746dcae8c5
