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London (AFP) – British and Irish ministers downplayed Tuesday the hope of a breakthrough in Brexit negotiations at an EU summit next week, suggesting that It would take until November to conclude a divorce agreement.
The leaders of the European Union have called for real progress by the October 18 meeting, in order to allow time for the approval of any agreement by the bloc parliaments before the departure of the European Union. Britain in March of next year.
Brexit British Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs that the October meeting "will be a milestone, we hope it will be a time when we will make progress".
But to come to an agreement, he said: "We have always made it clear that we would target the October Council, but we would have room for maneuver, it could slip in November, and we're still clear on that. "
Raab declined to say when London would publish its updated plan on how to keep open the border between British Northern Ireland and Ireland, a member of the EU, a stumbling block key in the discussions.
In Dublin, where the Irish government unveiled a "rainy fund" of 1.5 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars) to protect the country from the major economic shock caused by the Brexit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney also turned to November.
Negotiations have "intensified considerably this week" to try to solve the Irish problem, he said.
But, he added, "I think November will probably be needed as well as October to get an agreement on this."
European leaders have considered the possibility of a special summit in November to seal the global agreement on divorce, but only if progress has been made before that date.
– North Irish Opposition –
Olly Robbins, adviser to Britain's prime minister for Europe, is in Brussels this week as the two sides intensify their private talks in what some have called a "diplomatic tunnel" leading up to the summit.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said last week that the chances of an agreement were increasing, but London tried to calm expectations, insisting that it would not make the deal worse. Subject of pressure.
Coveney speculated that Britain would not officially release its Irish plan, preferring instead to discuss it with the EU behind closed doors.
The issue is particularly sensitive for Premier Theresa May, as her majority in the House of Commons depends on the support of a small party in Northern Ireland, the Unionist Democratic Party (DUP).
DUP leader Arlene Foster was in Brussels on Tuesday for talks with Brexit EU negotiator Michel Barnier.
It has made it clear that it would reject any agreement which, in order to keep the Irish land border open, would introduce new controls between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
"We can not support any arrangement that would create customs or regulatory barriers in the UK domestic market," she told reporters after the talks.
London believes that border controls can be avoided through a new trade deal with Brussels, but admits the need for a fallback plan, or a backstop, to solve the problem until it that this agreement be concluded.
He rejected the EU's proposal to keep Northern Ireland aligned with the group's customs and regulatory rules, saying it would effectively separate the province from the rest of Britain.
But he has not yet released his own alternative, proposing only a partial plan to keep Britain whole in line with EU rules for a limited time. This was rejected by both Brussels and many British Eurosceptics.
The May proposal for the future trade agreement was also rejected by the EU.
Raab reiterated May's demand that the EU should give ground, saying Britain had made ambitious and pragmatic proposals.
"We can expect the EU to act in our direction and if they fit this ambition, if they fit this pragmatism, I am convinced that we can always reach an agreement," he said. declared.
On Friday, the European ambassadors of the 27 non-UK Member States will meet in Luxembourg to discuss Brexit in the run-up to the summit, a diplomatic source said.
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