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VIENNA (Reuters) – The European Union will conclude an agreement on Brexit with Britain in November if it does not do so this month, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday. in an interview published by the Austrian press.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, speaks at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit at the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York, USA, on September 24, 2018. REUTERS / Carlo Allegri
Juncker said the potential for rapprochement between the two sides has increased in recent days, echoing what diplomatic sources told Reuters.
"We are not there yet, but our desire to reach an agreement with the British government is not broken," he said, quoted by Der Standard, Kurier and Der Falter.
"We have to get out of this scenario without agreement. It would not be good for Britain or for the rest of the (European) Union,
"My assumption is that we will reach an agreement that will meet the terms of the withdrawal treaty," said Juncker, adding that it was not possible to predict whether there would be a conclusion to the negotiations on the Brexit in October.
"Otherwise, we'll do it in November."
European Brexit negotiators believe that a divorce agreement with Britain is "very close," diplomatic sources told Reuters. A compromise on the most contentious issue – the future Irish border – could be in preparation, although details are scarce.
On Friday, Brexit European negotiators told the ambassadors of the remaining 27 states in the bloc that there was no breakthrough on the Irish issue and that much would depend on what their British counterparts would bring to Brussels next week.
Juncker told Austrian newspapers that a political declaration on future relations between Britain and its former European partners was needed to accompany the Brexit deal.
"You absolutely can not separate the withdrawal treaty and the declaration of future relations between the United Kingdom and Europe," he said.
Britain and the EU are trying to get the divorce agreement and the post-Brexit deal accepted in time for both the leaders' summits scheduled for October 17 and 18 and November 17 and 18.
Without anger
Asked about Italy's budget proposals, Juncker said it was up to Italian policymakers to find rules and measures to allow Italy to meet the agreed budgetary targets.
"We will evaluate the Italian budget without anger or affection and propose changes if necessary," he added.
The Italian government unveiled this week the essentials of its multi-year expansionary fiscal plan, raising the budget deficit target to 2.4% of gross domestic product by 2019.
The deficit is expected to gradually decrease over the next two years to 2.1%, then 1.8%, while remaining well above the targets previously agreed with the European Commission.
The objectives are "a source of grave concern", the European Commission said in a letter to the Italian Minister of Economy, Giovanni Tria, in which he asked Rome to ensure that the budget is "in line with common budgetary rules ".
Reportage of Kirsti Knolle; Edited by Andrew Heavens and Alexander Smith
