Brexit deal is getting closer, says Juncker

london — The chances of Britain and the European Union striking a Brexit deal on their divorce are rising, one of the bloc’s leaders said, amid reports the two sides are moving closer on the fraught issue of the Irish border.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told three Austrian newspapers in comments published on Saturday that “the rapprochement potential between both sides has increased in recent days”.

Negotiations faltered after the EU said last month that British PM Theresa May’s proposal for postBrexit economic relations was unacceptable. The two sides spent days trading bad-tempered barbs, with EU leaders demanding an apology after British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt compared the bloc to the Soviet Union.

But officials have been meeting behind the scenes before a key summit in Brussels on October 17 and 18. EU leaders say there needs to be major progress at the meeting for there to be a deal before Britain leaves the bloc on March 29.

The main obstacle is ensuring there are no customs posts or border checks along the frontier between the UK’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. —

vienna — The European Union will reach a Brexit deal with Britain in November if it does not do so this month, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview published by Austrian newspapers on Saturday.

Juncker said that the potential for a rapprochement between the two sides had grown in the last few days, echoing what diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

“We are not there yet. But our will to reach an understanding with the British government is unbroken,” he was quoted as saying by Der Standard and Kurier and Der Falter.

“We have to get away from this no-deal scenario. It wouldn’t be good for Britain or for the rest of the (European) Union,”

“My assumption is that we will reach an accord which will achieve the conditions of the withdrawal treaty,” Juncker said, adding that it was not possible to predict whether there will be a conclusion to the Brexit negotiations in October. “If not, then we will do it in November.”

EU Brexit negotiators believe a divorce deal with Britain is “very close”, diplomatic sources told Reuters, in a sign a compromise on the most contentious issue the future Irish border — might be in the making, although details were scarce.

On Friday, EU Brexit negotiators told ambassadors of the 27 states remaining in the bloc that there was no breakthrough on the Irish issue and much would depend on what their British counterparts bring to Brussels next week. Juncker told the Austrian

We have to get away from this no-deal scenario. It wouldn’t be good for Britain or for the rest of the (European) Union. Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president

papers that a political declaration on future relations between Britain and its former European partners was needed accompanying the Brexit deal. “You can’t absolutely keep separate the withdrawal treaty and the declaration of the future relationship between the UK and Europe,” he said.

Britain and the EU are trying to push the divorce deal as well as an agreement on post-Brexit relations in time for two leaders’ summits scheduled for October 17 to 18 and November 17 to18.

Asked about Italy’s budget plans, Juncker said it was up to Italian policymakers to find rules and measures that will allow Italy to remain within agreed budgetary targets. —