E.U. envoys agree that Brexit extension is needed; no date set

LONDON — Less than a week before Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union, ambassadors from the bloc’s 27 other nations agreed Friday to grant the U.K.’s request for another extension to the Brexit deadline — but they did not settle on how long that delay should be.

As so often during more than three years of Brexit drama, the two sides were in a stalemate, each waiting for the other to make a move. British politicians want to know the length of the delay before deciding whether to hold an early election. The EU, meanwhile, wants to know what Britain plans to do with the extra time.

Speaking in Brussels after EU ambassadors met with the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said the envoys accepted the terms of an extension and their “work will continue in the coming days.”

Two European diplomats said the ambassadors would meet again early next week. Andreeva hinted that the EU would not hold a special summit on Brexit to approve the extension, saying the decision will likely be made in a statement.

“We are not very far, and there is no doubt we will find a deal early next week,” said one diplomat, who asked not to be identified because talks are continuing. The ongoing debate in Britain over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request for a general election could have an impact on the length of the delay, the diplomat said.

Britain is scheduled to leave the 28-nation bloc on Oct. 31 after its original March 29 departure date was postponed twice. The U.K. has asked for a three-month extension to that deadline as Johnson struggles to get lawmakers to pass the divorce deal he agreed with the bloc. Economists say a no-deal departure would hurt both the U.K. and the EU economies.

France, among other EU nations, has been reluctant to approve a long Brexit extension, saying Britain must present “a clear scenario” for progress before another Brexit delay is granted.

“Our position is that simply giving more time, without political change, without ratification, without an election, would be useless,” Amelie de Montchalin, France’s European affairs minister, told RTL radio Thursday night.