There’s still a lot of work to do, warns EU chief

Davis hails ‘important progress’ but is told there are stumbling blocks

Britain could face months of wrangling before the European Union is ready to open talks on a future trade deal, Brussels’ chief negotiator has warned.

Following a fourth round of talks with Brexit Secretary David Davis in the Belgian capital, Michel Barnier said that while they had made progress, more needed to be done.

Downing Street had hoped Theresa’s May’s Florence speech, in which she proposed Britain would continue to pay into EU coffers for a two-year transition period, would unblock the talks.

However, at a joint press conference, Mr Barnier said while the speech had created a “good dynamic”, there were still differences which needed to be resolved on future citizens’ rights and the UK’s “divorce bill”.

“I think it is positive that Theresa May’s speech made it possible to unblock the situation to some extent and give a new dynamic to the situation,” he said.

“But we are far from being at the state – and it will take weeks or maybe even months – where we will be able to say, ‘Yes, there has been sufficient progress on the principles of this orderly withdrawal’.”

Mr Barnier said he could not even discuss Mrs May’s proposal for a period of transition until there had been sufficient progress on the issues of the UK’s “orderly withdrawal”.

On the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, he welcomed Britain’s assurance that it would adopt “EU law concepts” but said they had to be enforceable through the European Court of Justice (ECJ) – something the UK is resisting.

“This is a stumbling block for the EU,” Mr Barnier said.

He said there had been progress on the UK’s border with Ireland but on the financial settlement, commitments made by the UK as a member state must be honoured in full.

“We have had a constructive week but we are not there yet in terms of achieving sufficient progress. Further work is needed,” he added.

Mr Davis said: “We have made important progress and capitalised on the momentum created by the Prime Minister’s speech.

“We are working quickly through a number of complex issues but there remain some points where further discussion and pragmatism will be required to reach an agreement.”

Picture: Getty. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, seemed optimistic after the latest talks but his EU counterpart Michel Barnier seemed less so.