Comments by chief EU Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier
- Pleased that European ministers support the draft accord
- Orderly withdrawal is condition for future ambitious partnership
- Focus now is on negotiations on future partnership
- Focus must stay on UK leaving in an orderly fashion
- Transition period is a time of phasing out, not start of future relationship
- Possible transition extension would involve talks on UK financial contribution
- Transition period must have fixed end-date
- Will propose this week a fixed end-date for transition extension
- Transition could be extended once, for a limited period, no date agreed yet
- Cannot say how much UK should pay during extended transition
Some good news for May is that Barnier is floating the proposal that the transition period will have an end-date. However, the fact is that majority of the UK parliament will prefer if the extension option is not used.
Because let's face it, if it can be extended once, chances are if there still isn't a proper agreement on the Irish border and trade, it may very well be extended again even if they initially agree that it should only be extended "once".
