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| Brexit talks in Brussels between EU and the UK come to a halt | Brexit talks in Brussels between EU and the UK come to a halt |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Brexit talks have come to an abrupt halt in Brussels days after the British government demanded intensive negotiations on Boris Johnson’s proposals. | Brexit talks have come to an abrupt halt in Brussels days after the British government demanded intensive negotiations on Boris Johnson’s proposals. |
| Sources on both sides confirmed that no meetings between the negotiating teams were scheduled. There are 22 days to go before the UK is due to leave the EU. | Sources on both sides confirmed that no meetings between the negotiating teams were scheduled. There are 22 days to go before the UK is due to leave the EU. |
| Discussions between EU and UK officials had been held almost daily since the prime minister and the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, met for lunch in Luxembourg in mid-September. | Discussions between EU and UK officials had been held almost daily since the prime minister and the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, met for lunch in Luxembourg in mid-September. |
| The Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, had earlier this week called for the talks to intensify to try to secure a deal for leaders to sign off at an EU summit on 17 October. | The Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, had earlier this week called for the talks to intensify to try to secure a deal for leaders to sign off at an EU summit on 17 October. |
| But after a tumultuous Tuesday, during which unnamed Downing Street sources accused the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, of wielding a veto on the UK leaving the EU’s custom’s union, the talks appear to have hit a wall. | But after a tumultuous Tuesday, during which unnamed Downing Street sources accused the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, of wielding a veto on the UK leaving the EU’s custom’s union, the talks appear to have hit a wall. |
| Parliament set for Brexit showdown on 19 October | Parliament set for Brexit showdown on 19 October |
| The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Juncker will address the European parliament later on Wednesday to report on the state of play. | The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Juncker will address the European parliament later on Wednesday to report on the state of play. |
| Speaking ahead of the sitting, Barnier told reporters: “The EU will remain calm, vigilant, respectful – respectful – and constructive. I think the deal is possible and very difficult, but possible.” | |
| Much of the focus is now on Johnson’s expected meeting with the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on Thursday, with Barclay expected to meet Barnier for a working lunch in Brussels on the same day. | Much of the focus is now on Johnson’s expected meeting with the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on Thursday, with Barclay expected to meet Barnier for a working lunch in Brussels on the same day. |
| Both sides are keen to avoid blame for what Johnson himself has warned would be a “failure of statecraft” if they failed to find agreement. | |
| On Tuesday, Varadkar had told the Irish broadcaster RTE that he believed it would be “very difficult to secure an agreement by next week”. | On Tuesday, Varadkar had told the Irish broadcaster RTE that he believed it would be “very difficult to secure an agreement by next week”. |
| “Essentially what the United Kingdom has done is repudiate the deal that we negotiated in good faith with prime minister [Theresa] May’s government over two years and have sort of put half of that now back on the table and are saying, ‘That’s a concession’. And, of course, it isn’t really.” | “Essentially what the United Kingdom has done is repudiate the deal that we negotiated in good faith with prime minister [Theresa] May’s government over two years and have sort of put half of that now back on the table and are saying, ‘That’s a concession’. And, of course, it isn’t really.” |
| Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, insisted in an interview with the BBC that there was still hope of a deal. He said: “We’re reaching a critical point – if there’s ever a time for jaw-jaw rather than war-war, this is it.” | Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, insisted in an interview with the BBC that there was still hope of a deal. He said: “We’re reaching a critical point – if there’s ever a time for jaw-jaw rather than war-war, this is it.” |
| Ministers are preparing to summon MPs for a special Saturday sitting of parliament after next week’s crucial EU summit. | Ministers are preparing to summon MPs for a special Saturday sitting of parliament after next week’s crucial EU summit. |
| MPs are expected to be called back to Westminster on Saturday 19 October regardless of whether Johnson has been able to secure agreement on a Brexit deal. | MPs are expected to be called back to Westminster on Saturday 19 October regardless of whether Johnson has been able to secure agreement on a Brexit deal. |
| EU diplomats for the 27 other member states were briefed by the commission on Wednesday morning that there had not been any change in the UK position to offer hope of a deal being struck. | |
| According to EU sources, the French representative in the meeting warned “there can be no assumptions” about a free-trade deal with the UK after Brexit given the British demands over removing all level playing conditions, such as non-regression on environmental standards, from the withdrawal agreement. | |
| In a forceful intervention, France made the point that free trade agreements are always decided on a case-by-case basis with no automaticity about the final result. | |
| Johnson’s government has promised a “best-in-class” deal with the EU and wants to ditch close alignment with the UK on standards on health, environment and workers’ rights. In its report to member states, a commission official said the UK wanted “a basic free trade deal” and negotiators now understood British intentions more clearly. | |
| A political declaration on the future relationship is an essential part of any Brexit deal, but technical talks between Frost and Brussels have focused much less on this text. | |
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