Brexit: EU-27 agree negotiating stance

EU leaders have unanimously agreed the negotiating guidelines for Brexit talks with UK — in only a minute.

European Council President Donald Tusk, chairing the talks in Brussels, tweeted that the “firm and fair political mandate” for the talks was ready.

The 27 leaders — UK PM Theresa May was not present — approved the the guidelines first issued on 31 March by Mr Tusk.

Talks with the UK will begin after the general election on 8 June.

The deadline for completing the negotiations is 29 March 2019. European Union officials said approval of the guidelines was completed in Brussels within a minute.

Officials said leaders burst into applause as the negotiating stance was waved through.

The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said: “We are ready . . . we are together.”

In a letter to the leaders of the EU-27 ahead of the summit, Mr Tusk wrote that progress on “people, money and Ireland” must come before negotiations on the EU’s future relationship with the UK.

As she arrived in Brussels, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated that only once substantial progress had been made on the separation talks with the UK could negotiations turn to the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

e separation talks will seek to agree the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, as well as Britons living in the EU, plus a settlement for the UK’s financial obligations as an EU member state. A deal must also be agreed to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, Mr Tusk wrote. — BBC