Insufficient progress on EU-UK divorce terms, says European Parliament

Insufficient progress on EU-UK divorce terms, says European Parliament

The first four cycles of negotiations on Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) have not yielded enough progress on the EU’s priorities, according to a draft resolution drawn up by the European Parliament’s pilot group on Brexit. The draft resolution suggests that, barring a breakthrough at the fifth cycle of negotiations on the three priority points for Europe, EU leaders should postpone their evaluation, aimed at assessing whether sufficient progress has been made in the talks.

The remaining 27 EU countries have set three priority points: the amount Britain will have to pay on leaving the EU; the fate of European citizens on British soil; and the future of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom (UK). Only if enough progress has been made in these three areas will Europe agree to discuss future trade relations with the UK in a new phase of negotiations.

The parliamentarians are to discuss the draft resolution, supported by the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, at a plenary session in Strasbourg. The resolution as adopted will lay down the Parliament’s contribution to the European Council on the 20th of October in Brussels.

At that summit, the heads of state and government should, in theory, assess the progress made in the Brexit negotiations.


The Brussels Times


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