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The European Union negotiator on Brexit said Wednesday that an agreement on the exit of Britain "was at hand" if negotiations progressed before the summit next week.
Michel Barnier said that up to 85% of the work on an agreement is done but that the question of how to ensure a transparent border on the island of Ireland remains unresolved.
He proposed solutions to minimize border controls. However, he also warned that some British proposals in the state would give the UK a too competitive business advantage.
With the goodwill of both sides, "an agreement is at hand if we have negotiations on October 17th", when Theresa May will meet her 27 counterparts in Brussels.
European Commissioner for European Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on Wednesday that Barnier and his team "are working hard to reach an agreement".
Britain must leave the EU on March 29 and the possibility that there is no agreement on future relations – especially trade – is worrying businesses and men policies.
As a member of the EU, Britain enjoys a seamless trade with the bloc, its largest trading partner. And the question is how to let Britain leave the EU without unduly disrupting trade and without restoring a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and British Northern Ireland.
