This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/09/conditions-for-short-brexit-delay-have-not-been-met-says-berlin

The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 8 Version 9
UK likely to be offered Brexit extension until end of year EU rejects Theresa May's bid for short delay to Brexit
(about 2 hours later)
Britain appeared set to be offered a final long extension ending on 31 December after Donald Tusk, the European council president, said granting Theresa May her request for a shorter Brexit delay risked damaging uncertainty for businesses and citizens. Theresa May’s request for a short Brexit delay has been torn up, putting the EU on track to instead extend Britain’s membership until the end of the year.
Despite a whistle-stop tour by the prime minister to Paris and Berlin, the EU’s capitals remain unconvinced that the British government has a credible plan to break the Brexit impasse in Westminster. Despite the prime minister’s desperate dash to Paris and Berlin, to convince leaders of her plan to break the Brexit impasse, the European council president Donald Tusk signalled the lack of faith in EU capitals with her cross-party talks.
A number of member states, most prominently France, along with Slovenia, Austria and Spain, do remain sceptical about a lengthy extension, citing the risks to the EU of Britain behaving badly during the extra period of membership.
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, had also argued during a meeting of ministers in Luxembourg that May’s request for a limited extension to 30 June would keep the pressure on MPs to back the deal.
But, according to a diplomatic note seen by the Guardian of the meeting, there is growing support for the idea of a lengthy extension, with a Brexit delay of around nine months now looking likely, sources said.
The momentum behind a lengthy extension was clear in a letter from Tusk to the EU27 leaders inviting them to Wednesday’s summit, in which he listed the reasons to reject May’s request for limited extension to 30 June.
Tusk claimed the EU’s “experience so far, as well as the deep divisions within the House of Commons, give us little reason to believe that the ratification process can be completed by the end of June”.
He instead warned that “granting such an extension would increase the risk of a rolling series of short extensions and emergency summits, creating new cliff-edge dates”.
“This, in turn, would almost certainly overshadow the business of the EU27 in the months ahead,” Tusk writes. “The continued uncertainty would also be bad for our businesses and citizens. Finally, if we failed to agree on any next extension, there would be a risk of an accidental no-deal Brexit.”
The Guardian has learned that none of the EU27 ruled out a delay of around nine months during the meeting of EU affairs ministers.
France believes a full year extension, with the option to leave sooner, as proposed by Tusk earlier this month would be “too long”. But even those member states most wary of prolonged delay are merely insisting on a “mechanism” to keep check on the British government’s behaviour.
Brexit is just one front in Europe’s battle for its soul | Timothy Garton AshBrexit is just one front in Europe’s battle for its soul | Timothy Garton Ash
A draft summit communique, obtained by The Guardian, and to be agreed by the EU27’s leaders on Wednesday, assumes in return for an extension a “commitment by the United Kingdom to act in a constructive and responsible manner throughout this unique period in accordance with the duty of sincere cooperation”. Against a backdrop of growing support among the EU27 for a lengthy Brexit delay, probably until 31 December, Tusk picked apart May’s appeal for a shorter delay to 30 June in a letter to the leaders inviting them to Wednesday’s summit.
It goes on to say the EU “expects the United Kingdom to fulfil this Treaty obligation in a manner that reflects its situation as a withdrawing member state”, while the length of the extension is left blank. In light of the development, a cabinet source voiced doubts over whether May could survive after presiding over such a long delay to Brexit, after previously having said she could not “as prime minister” accept a longer delay than 30 June.
“To this effect, the United Kingdom shall facilitate the achievement of the Union’s tasks and refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union’s objectives”, it adds in reference to the EU’s long term plans, senior appointments and budget decisions. It adds that the UK will leave on 1 June unless it has held European elections between 23-26 May. The source said No 10 “now accept it is nearly game over” and described all options as nuclear for the prime minister, raising questions about whether she can keep her warring party together any longer.
The threat made by the Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg to disrupt the union from inside in the event of a long extension to Britain’s membership was raised in the meeting of ministers, according to a leaked cable. May is facing a bitter backlash within her party over the likelihood of a long delay to Brexit and participation in EU elections, especially if that leads to any sort of deal with Labour involving a customs union.
Four cabinet ministers – Andrea Leadsom, Chris Grayling, Liam Fox and Geoffrey Cox – were among more than half of Conservative MPs who refused to back a June extension to article 50 in a vote on Tuesday, underlining the plummeting support for May within her own party.
In a damning indictment of Downing Street’s strategy, Tusk claimed the EU’s “experience so far, as well as the deep divisions within the House of Commons, give us little reason to believe that the ratification process can be completed by the end of June”.
Twenty-four hours before May was due in Brussels to address leaders, he warned that “granting such an extension would increase the risk of a rolling series of short extensions and emergency summits, creating new cliff-edge dates”.
“This, in turn, would almost certainly overshadow the business of the EU27 in the months ahead,” Tusk wrote. “The continued uncertainty would also be bad for our businesses and citizens. Finally, if we failed to agree on any next extension, there would be a risk of an accidental no-deal Brexit.”
Cabinet sources said pro-Brexit ministers are being severely tested by the turn of events but would probably not walk out yet if a longer extension involved the option of it being cut short, as is expected.
One source said there was a reluctance among the Brexiters to be replaced with more remainer MPs, but their patience could run out if May does agree to a deal with Labour involving a customs union.
Fox, the international trade secretary, hinted he could not put up with that outcome in a letter to the 1922 committee describing a customs union as “the worst of all worlds”.
The scale of anger among Conservative MPs about May’s talks with Jeremy Corbyn is such that ministers are now speculating about whether she would even command the support of enough her own MPs to have a chance of getting any soft Brexit deal through parliament.
The prime minister’s request for a shorter extension had garnered some support among member states. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, advised ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg that a longer delay would lift the pressure on MPs to vote for the Brexit deal.
But, according to a diplomatic note of the meeting seen by the Guardian, there is now growing support for the idea of a lengthy extension, with a Brexit delay of about nine months up to 31 December looking likely, sources said.
France believes a full year extension, with the option to leave sooner, as proposed by Tusk earlier this month, would be “too long”, in a sign that 31 December will be the compromise position.
MPs pass bill to force May to set out timetable for Brexit delay
Slovenia, Austria and Spain had all voiced concerns about a lengthy extension during the meeting on Tuesday, citing the risks to the EU of Britain behaving badly during the extra period of membership.
But even those capitals most wary of prolonged delay are now merely insisting on a “mechanism” to keep a check on the British government’s behaviour.
A draft summit communique, obtained by the Guardian, and to be agreed by the EU27’s leaders on Wednesday, assumes in return for an extension a “commitment by the United Kingdom to act in a constructive and responsible manner throughout this unique period in accordance with the duty of sincere cooperation”.
It goes on to say the EU “expects the United Kingdom to fulfil this treaty obligation in a manner that reflects its situation as a withdrawing member state”, while the length of the extension is left blank.
“To this effect, the United Kingdom shall facilitate the achievement of the union’s tasks and refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the union’s objectives,” it adds in reference to the EU’s long-term plans, senior appointments and budget decisions. It adds that the UK will leave on 1 June unless it has held European elections between 23-26 May.
The threat made by the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg to disrupt the union from inside in the event of a long extension to Britain’s membership was raised in the meeting of ministers, according to a leaked cable.
Barnier told the group: “We will not tolerate this”.Barnier told the group: “We will not tolerate this”.
France’s Europe minister, Amélie de Montchalin, told her colleagues during the meeting: “[The UK] mustn’t stand in the way of any decisions that the EU would have taken without them”.France’s Europe minister, Amélie de Montchalin, told her colleagues during the meeting: “[The UK] mustn’t stand in the way of any decisions that the EU would have taken without them”.
According to the note, Austria’s minister, Gernot Blümel, said: “We are risking our credibility if we extend again. [Theresa May] is asking a lot of us. Therefore it is only fair we ask a decent plan and some conditions.”
“A long extension bears risk and we don’t know who the new Tory leader might be, or want they might do”, Cyprus’s minister said.
An option, not included in the draft communique, that has been discussed in recent days is a requirement on the prime minister to set out in writing her intention for the UK to act in “sincere cooperation” with the bloc, and for a “weighing point” to be set up in October when Brussels would judge whether the UK was living up to its commitments.An option, not included in the draft communique, that has been discussed in recent days is a requirement on the prime minister to set out in writing her intention for the UK to act in “sincere cooperation” with the bloc, and for a “weighing point” to be set up in October when Brussels would judge whether the UK was living up to its commitments.
“That might be the price for French support for a long extension,” said an EU diplomat. Brexit weekly briefing: May seeks further delay after Labour talks
According to the leaked note, a number of member states told Barnier that they did not believe Labour and the Conservatives were genuinely seeking a compromise position.According to the leaked note, a number of member states told Barnier that they did not believe Labour and the Conservatives were genuinely seeking a compromise position.
Luxembourg questioned why Labour had voted down the withdrawal agreement to which it is not opposed, concluded that its main focus was forcing a general election. Luxembourg questioned why Labour had voted down the withdrawal agreement to which it is not opposed and concluded that its main focus was forcing an election.
The Greek minister said her government hoped to introduce a “culture of conciliation and a culture of understanding”, adding “like Portugal we remain flexible about an extension”. Speaking to reporters, Barnier had hinted at the points he had made to the EU’s ministers during a 50-minute address on Tuesday morning, by noting that a key factor in the bloc’s thinking would be the “pressure you might want to assert” on MPs.
“The European elections can be a positive thing for Britain for they will reintroduce an actual discussion about Europe,” the minister said.
During a press conference, Barnier hinted at the points he had made to the EU’s ministers during a 50 minute address on Tuesday morning, by noting that a key factor in the bloc’s thinking would be the “pressure you might want to assert” on MPs.
“The duration of an extension has got to be in line with or linked to the purpose of such an extension, and that is something I can imagine Mrs May will be telling the leaders tomorrow as well,” Barnier told reporters.
But even France showed signs of accepting the need for a longer extension, as May met Macron in Paris following her earlier meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin.But even France showed signs of accepting the need for a longer extension, as May met Macron in Paris following her earlier meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin.
“We cannot keep holding repeat Brexit summits,” an Elysee source conceded. “The EU has other things to do. Only a few weeks before the European elections, the EU must show that it knows how to do other things than holding summits about Brexit.” “We cannot keep holding repeat Brexit summits,” an Élysée source conceded. “The EU has other things to do. Only a few weeks before the European elections, the EU must show that it knows how to do other things than holding summits about Brexit.”
Before Barnier spoke, Germany’s EU affairs minister had complained that “absolutely nothing has changed” in Westminster.
Michael Roth said cross-party talks had not offered any hope of an imminent Brexit breakthrough, complaining that “apparently the very late talks with the British opposition have not led to any progress whatsoever either”.
MPs pass bill to force May to set out timetable for Brexit delay
Brexit weekly briefing: May seeks further delay after Labour talks
BrexitBrexit
GermanyGermany
Theresa MayTheresa May
European UnionEuropean Union
Article 50Article 50
Donald Tusk
Foreign policyForeign policy
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content