Barnier gets green light for tough talks

NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BEGIN UNTIL MID-JUNE AFTER BRITISH ELECTION

Brexit negotiations are not expected to begin until mid-June after British election |

E U ministers yesterday unanimously gave Frenchman Michel Barnier the green light to start what they warned would be “very difficult” talks with Britain over its exit from the bloc.

Negotiations are not expected to begin until mid-June after the British general election, but the two sides are already at loggerheads over key issues including the cost of Britain’s departure.

Former European commissioner and French foreign minister Barnier will conduct negotiations on behalf of the remaining 27 EU member states for the coming two years.

He will lock horns with Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis who warned at the weekend that London could walk away from the talks if Brussels pushes a reported €100 billion (Dh411 billion) divorce bill.

“EU 27 just adopted at unanimity decision authorising Article 50 negotiations. Strong and clear mandate for Michel Barnier,” Barnier’s deputy Sabine Weyand tweeted.

German foreign ministry state secretary Michael Roth said as he arrived for the meeting in Brussels that Brexit was a “lose-lose situation” for everyone.

“We all have to prepare for very difficult negotiations,” Roth told reporters. “We have two years time, the clock is ticking and we have to start working focused.”

Barnier’s Brexit mandate yesterday comes from “negotiating directives” approved by the EU 27 ministers.

They were based on guidelines that EU leaders adopted in just four minutes — one for each decade of Britain’s membership — in a rare show of unity for the often divided bloc.

The EU insists on making “sufficient progress” on three key divorce issues before talks can start on a future UK-EU trade deal.

Rights of citizens

These are the rights of EU citizens in Britain and British citizens on the continent; London’s exit bill; and arrangements for the border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland. Britain however wants the divorce settlement and the future relationship to be discussed in parallel.

Barnier told EU colleagues on May 3 he does not expect negotiations to begin until mid-June when he hopes Britain’s postelection political climate will be more favourable to reaching an agreement.