UK ‘must settle accounts’ before trade talks—Barnier

BRUSSELS: Britain must reach a deal on what it owes the EU and on the fate of European Barnier said Wednesday.

major statement of intent from Brussels since

including the exit bill, the rights of 4.5 million EU nationals living in Britain and vice versa, and what will happen to the border in Northern Ireland.

punishment, there is no price to pay to leave. But we must settle the accounts, no more, no less,” Barnier, a former European commissioner and

euro for something they have not agreed to as a member,” he told an EU regional institution.

Barnier said Britain had outstanding ob ligations for regional funding, development together total obligations for the whole EU of more than 600 billion euros.

Britain’s exit bill would be around 60 billion euros, but Barnier’s team is now backing away from mentioning a set sum.

Brexit ‘uncertainty’

Britain and British nationals residing in European countries must also be resolved, he said.

wondering if they can continue to access universities in Britain, Romanian healthcare workers in British hospitals and British pen sioners in Spain unsure whether they will

in the long term will be our absolute priority from the very start of the negotiations,” he said.

membership of the European single market can not start until the terms of Britain’s exit are all settled, Barnier added.

tainly,” he added.

London has argued the two paths can be negotiated in parallel.

orderly withdrawal the sooner we can prepare these future relations,” Barnier said.

ties and push them to the end of negotiations, we will be headed for failure.”

Special summit

trigger Article 50 of the EU’s treaties next of talks before Britain actually leaves the EU.

Barnier said a transitional deal—to cover areas period but would form part of an eventual, full trade deal—”could be necessary.”

sels to set out their political guidelines for the Brexit negotiations.

But actual talks will not start for several more weeks as the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has to set out more detailed plans, and then ministers have to give Barnier

not reaching a deal before Britain leaves,