EU’s Barnier says deal ‘still possible’ with London as Brexit deadline looms

The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said a Brexit deal is “still possible” this week despite it becoming more difficult to reach an agreement between Brussels and London.

Barnier gave an update on Brexit talks before a meeting with the EU’s member states at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Tuesday morning.

“Our team is working hard,” said Barnier. “This work has been intense all over the weekend and yesterday. Because, even if an agreement will be difficult — more and more difficult, to be frank — it is still possible this week.”

Barnier added that the main challenge now is to turn British proposals on the complex issue of the border on the island of Ireland into something binding, saying it is “high time to turn good intentions into a legal text”.

He said: “Reaching an agreement is still possible. Obviously any agreement must work for everyone, the whole of the United Kingdom and the whole of the European Union.”

Britain’s Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay, who was due to meet with Barnier later in the day, said ongoing talks need “space to proceed” but added “detailed conversations are under way and a deal is still very possible”.

The comments give a glimmer of hope after Finland’s leader Antti Rinne on Monday said there was “no time” for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to achieve an agreement.

Speaking on the BBC’s UK Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick rejected the remarks, stressing a “great deal” of progress had been made and negotiators are working “very intensively”.

“The EU is capable of moving extremely quickly if they wish to,” Jenrick said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the British proposals to keep the Irish border protected from smuggling and fraud once the UK leaves the bloc remain insufficient and are “not enough to guarantee that the internal market will be protected”.

EU leaders are meeting for a twoday summit in Brussels from Thursday, which is seen as the last chance to agree any deal before the Oct 31 Brexit deadline.

The British people voted to leave the EU on June 23, 2016, and the country was due to leave on March 29 this year following two years of negotiations.

Former British prime minister Theresa May tried — and failed — three times to get the deal she agreed with Brussels passed by MPs. Her failure prompted her resignation and Brexit being pushed back to Oct 31.

Johnson replaced her and insists Britain will leave on that date “do or die”. But the British Parliament passed a law saying the country cannot leave without an agreement, and Johnson has not explained how he can get around that.