EU Brexit Chief Preparing for ‘Possible’ Failure in Talks With UK
E.U. Brexit chief Michel Barnier said Sunday that he is making contingency plans for the “possible” failure of divorce talks with Britain.
E.U. Brexit chief Michel Barnier said Sunday that he is making contingency plans for the “possible” failure of divorce talks with Britain.
“It’s not my [preferred] option,” he told French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD). “But it’s a possibility. Everyone needs to plan for it, member states and businesses alike. We too are preparing for it technically.”
He recalled that without a deal on post-Brexit trade terms the E.U. and Britain would revert to World Trade Organization (WTO) tariffs, with trade ties “like those we have with China”.
On Friday Mr. Barnier gave Britain a two-week ultimatum to make concessions on a divorce agreement if it wants to unlock the next phase of talks in December.
He said it was “vital” for Britain to increase its offer on its exit bill – which a figure senior EU officials put at up to 60 billion euros ($70 billion) – to open up talks on a future trade deal.
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