Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers his keynote speech to delegates on the final day of the annual Conservative Party conference at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, in Manchester, England on October 2, 2019. [Reuters]
European Union officials expressed doubt yesterday that the latest British proposals on Brexit could yield an agreement before an October 31 deadline.
But the bloc was careful not to dismiss the proposals too soon, and both sides are treading carefully to avoid any blame should the tortuous divorce process end in a crash.
More talks between both sides’ Brexit negotiators are due today, but the bloc has already made it clear UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans - which principally involve arrangements for the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland - are nowhere close to unlocking a deal.
They can only be a starting point to more talks, according to officials and diplomats dealing with Brexit at the EU hub, Brussels.
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“It does not contain any decent solution for customs. And it erects a hard border on the island of Ireland,” said a senior EU official, saying the plan “can’t fly” as it stands.
Seal agreement
An EU diplomat said the plan would need to be fundamentally reworked to become acceptable.
Time was short before EU leaders meet in Brussels on October 17 and 18 for a make-or-break Brexit summit, the person said.
Mr Johnson (pictured) hopes to seal an agreement then and take Britain out of the bloc two weeks later.
However, the British parliament has passed a law saying the country cannot leave without a deal and must ask for an extension if it gets nowhere at the EU summit.
Johnson has vowed to take Britain out on October 31 but has not explained how he would get around that.
He has also pledged not to request another delay to Brexit, already postponed twice from its original date last March.
The EU is also worried about the lack of a parliamentary majority for any Brexit accord after a divorce deal it had struck with Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, was rejected three times in the House of Commons.
The European Parliament, which must sign off on any final Brexit deal, has a group of lawmakers dealing with Brexit known as the Brexit Steering Group (BSG).
