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The chief negotiator of the European Union, Michel Barnier, said it was "realistic" to believe that a Brexit agreement could be reached between the UK and the EU in the next two months .
The pound gained momentum after Barnier, on a visit to Bled in Slovenia on Monday, said: "If we are realistic, I want to reach an agreement on the first stage of the negotiation, namely the weeks.
"The treaty is clear, we have two years to reach an agreement before [the UK] leave … in March 2019. This means that, given the time required for the ratification process in the House of Commons on one side, the European Parliament and the Council on the other side, we have to reach an agreement before the beginning of November. I think it is possible.
EU leaders were to announce at a meeting in Salzburg next week that an extraordinary summit on Brexit would take place in November, while they are encouraging Barnier to reach an agreement with him. the British Prime Minister.
Discussions on the state of play of the talks will take place during a two-hour lunch at an informal summit in Austria, where leaders should ask the EU's chief negotiator to work with the best proposals from the EU. Theresa May.
The EU should strive for a resolution on the issue of avoiding a difficult border on the island of Ireland at a summit of leaders in October, in order to reach an agreement.
However, the special summit – which will probably be held on 13 November – would then allow Heads of State and Government to establish the terms of a political declaration on a future agreement on trade, security, aviation and aviation. peach.
EU officials and diplomats confirmed that such an announcement was expected although the plan has not yet been confirmed.
Spokespersons for the European Council and the European Commission declined to comment.
A report in the Financial Times (£) suggested that additional guidelines – official documents produced by leaders to train Barnier – could also be discussed in Salzburg. If they are approved, they will then be adopted at the October meeting, the newspaper said.
The FT quoted a top EU diplomat, suggesting that the new instructions would serve as "kind of a mandate to do the market". Sources from the EU and the UK said the likelihood at this stage of such an official operation had been exaggerated.
High-level diplomats representing the member states in the negotiations said that there would be warm words in Salzburg, but it was not yet planned to offer a new set of directives to Barnier or be discussed by the leaders.
EU sources noted that Heads of State and Government had adopted the same principles on the need to avoid "picking" EU membership since the beginning of the negotiations.
It is understood that the EU would rather stress the need for movement on the issue of the Irish border and the lack of available time, while giving May something to show for his efforts before the Conservative Party conference.
In organizing an extraordinary summit, an EU official said the message would be sent out the time was too short to set everything up in October, given the slow progress on the Irish border and the lack of progress. other outstanding issues, such as geographical indications protecting food products.
This would also indicate, however, the determination of European leaders to take ownership of the final political declaration, sources said, which the EU said would be unprecedented in its range.
The British government was reportedly opposed to a November summit, fearing that the negotiating timetable might slip away.
