Weekend Negotiations Yield No Solution On Brexit

The Guardian reports:

A breakthrough in the Brexit talks has failed to materialise after a weekend of intensive negotiations, with European Union capitals concluding that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave the EU by 31 October with a deal.

In a briefing to EU ambassadors on Sunday evening, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, raised the prospect of the talks having to continue after the forthcoming leaders’ summit on Thursday, such was the lack of progress.

Barnier told diplomats for the member states that the latest British customs proposals for the Irish border remained an “untested” risk that the bloc could not countenance.

Politico Europe reports:

Negotiators have been working on several potential solutions including a deal that would in effect keep Northern Ireland in the U.K.’s customs territory but apply EU tariff rates at its external border, although officials say it is still unclear how this will work.

Diplomats say they are still “cautiously optimistic” that a deal can be reached although they also say they are “skeptical” it can be done by Wednesday when EU27 ambassadors will meet again to discuss the state of play ahead of a two-day European Council summit of EU leaders starting Thursday.

On Sunday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he would back a further Brexit extension, if the U.K. asks for one. Johnson has promised to take the U.K. out of the EU deal or no deal on October 31, though the British parliament passed legislation to force the government to seek a delay.