Britain would end up failing to persuade EU leaders in opening up talks again with the U.K. in December if British Prime Minister Theresa May is not bale to enhance her Brexit offer to the Eu the within a 10-day “absolute deadline”.
Businesses in the U.K would come under pressure to escape potential losses and shift their investments outside of the country is an agreement between the U.K. and the EU is not reached by March of 2019 which seems very tight if there is no deal by next month.
“We need to see progress from UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland,” European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted after meeting May in Brussels for one hour following an EU summit.
And since the government in Dublin seemed to be falling apart, uncertainty too has shrouded the Northern Ireland border deal suddenly.
The leaders of the other 27 EU members will be able to open trade talks with the U.K. by concluding that Britain had made “sufficient progress” toward meeting three critical conditions to open up talks at the summit on Dec. 14-15 was still a possibility, Tusk said.
But that was “still a huge challenge”, he added.
May is scheduled to meet the EU chief executive, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and his chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on December 4 and that would be a crunch moment, expects the EU officials.
“Tusk presented the timeline ... with December 4 as the absolute deadline for the UK to make additional efforts, allowing Barnier to be in a position to recommend sufficient progress,” an EU official said. “May agreed to this time frame.”
“The UK will need to give credible assurances as to how to avoid a hard border before December 4, as it is still unclear how this can be done,” the official added.
On the other hand, a snap election may be called in Ireland next week whose Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has issued warnings of imposing a veto if there are no big British moves on the border issue. This has also complicated the situation.
With regards to issues of how to prevent a “hard border” which could disturb the peace in Northern Ireland, expatriates’ rights following implementation of Brexit and the closing of the gaps on a financial settlement, there has been sufficient progress that have been made by the two sides, May told reporters after meeting Tusk.
But she added: “There are still issues across the various matters that we are negotiating on to be resolved.”
Britain would “honour our commitments”, she stated – which was a line that she had she first used in September. But before the EU counterparts give in to London’s call for trade talks related to post-Brexit situations, they are demanding details over payments to be made but which are yet to be made clear.
On the Irish border, May said: “We and the Irish government continue to talk about solutions for that. We have the same desire. We want to ensure that movement of people and trade across that border can carry on as now.”
(Source:www.reuters.com)
Businesses in the U.K would come under pressure to escape potential losses and shift their investments outside of the country is an agreement between the U.K. and the EU is not reached by March of 2019 which seems very tight if there is no deal by next month.
“We need to see progress from UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland,” European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted after meeting May in Brussels for one hour following an EU summit.
And since the government in Dublin seemed to be falling apart, uncertainty too has shrouded the Northern Ireland border deal suddenly.
The leaders of the other 27 EU members will be able to open trade talks with the U.K. by concluding that Britain had made “sufficient progress” toward meeting three critical conditions to open up talks at the summit on Dec. 14-15 was still a possibility, Tusk said.
But that was “still a huge challenge”, he added.
May is scheduled to meet the EU chief executive, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and his chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on December 4 and that would be a crunch moment, expects the EU officials.
“Tusk presented the timeline ... with December 4 as the absolute deadline for the UK to make additional efforts, allowing Barnier to be in a position to recommend sufficient progress,” an EU official said. “May agreed to this time frame.”
“The UK will need to give credible assurances as to how to avoid a hard border before December 4, as it is still unclear how this can be done,” the official added.
On the other hand, a snap election may be called in Ireland next week whose Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has issued warnings of imposing a veto if there are no big British moves on the border issue. This has also complicated the situation.
With regards to issues of how to prevent a “hard border” which could disturb the peace in Northern Ireland, expatriates’ rights following implementation of Brexit and the closing of the gaps on a financial settlement, there has been sufficient progress that have been made by the two sides, May told reporters after meeting Tusk.
But she added: “There are still issues across the various matters that we are negotiating on to be resolved.”
Britain would “honour our commitments”, she stated – which was a line that she had she first used in September. But before the EU counterparts give in to London’s call for trade talks related to post-Brexit situations, they are demanding details over payments to be made but which are yet to be made clear.
On the Irish border, May said: “We and the Irish government continue to talk about solutions for that. We have the same desire. We want to ensure that movement of people and trade across that border can carry on as now.”
(Source:www.reuters.com)