Negotiators from the EU and the United Kingdom meet again on Tuesday in an attempt to break the stalemate on the Brexit agreement. The European Commission communicated this after President Jean-Claude Juncker and British Prime Minister Theresa May had a talk at a summit in Egypt, where “good progress” was made according to Juncker.
We are looking for ways to get the British Parliament behind the withdrawal agreement. One of the options is a supplement to the political statement that accompanies the agreement. This would emphasize the temporary nature of the ‘backstop’, the arrangement to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after the British departure on 30 March. Any additional guarantees about this are also subject to discussion. In addition, we look at “alternative arrangements” for the backstop.
Juncker and May agreed that the work should be ready for the EU summit on 21 March. In the week before, a vote is scheduled in the House of Commons. Messages about postponement of the brexit were not confirmed.
EU President Donald Tusk said at a press conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh that delay would be a “rational decision”, given the lack of a majority in the House of Commons. He thinks that this option is also becoming more likely. But May has told him that she can avoid the postpone scenario. If she did make a request for postponement, she could, according to Tusk, count on “maximum understanding” of the other 27 EU countries. He has in any case gone through the “legal and political context” with her.
EU negotiator Michel Barnier will receive Brexit minister Stephen Barclay and Advocate General Geoffrey Cox in Brussels on Tuesday. The latter is an important legal adviser to May.
