Brexit clock ticking: EU

Settle border by June: France

BRUSSELS, May 14, (Agencies): The European Union on Monday warned Britain time was running out to seal a Brexit deal this autumn and ensure London does not crash out of the bloc next March adding to pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May.

But May’s spokesman said the “focus is on getting this right” rather than meeting a deadline.

Diplomats and officials in Brussels note little progress in Brexit negotiations since the EU leaders last met, raising doubt about whether the bloc and London would be able to mark another milestone at the next toplevel summit on June 28-29.

“We are concerned that there is no clear stance, no clear position from the British. The clock is ticking,” German EU Minister Michael Roth told his EU peers meeting in Brussels.

“We need now to be making substantial progress, but that is not happening. What is worrying us in particular is the Northern Ireland question where we expect a substantial accommodation from the British side.”

At home, May is stuck between a rock and a hard place with staunch Brexit supporters pushing to sever ties with the EU and others advocating keeping close customs cooperation with the bloc to reduce frictions in future trade.

May’s spokesman said London was working on two options for postBrexit customs cooperation.

Under a customs partnership, Britain could collect tariffs on goods entering the country on the EU’s behalf. Under a second idea, for a streamlined customs arrangement, traders on an approved list would be able to cross borders freely with the aid of automated technology.

But the EU has said London must come up with a solution for the Irish border conundrum and highlights that has not happened. Both sides worry that reinstating a physical border between EU-member Ireland and Britain’s province of Northern Ireland

Khamzat Azimov, a French citizen born in the Russian republic of Chechnya, killed one person and wounded four others in Saturday’s attack, before police fatally shot him. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

Macron

Azimov

— including to manage customs — could revive violence there.

Other outstanding issues include guarantees for expatriate rights, agreeing on security cooperation and trade rules after Brexit, to ensure a deal is in place when Britain leaves in March 2019, and an adaptation period ends at the end of 2020.

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The European Union should set a “final deadline” of next month for Britain to resolve the conundrum of its border with Ireland after Brexit, France’s top diplomat said Sunday.

The issue has become a major source of contention within Brexit negotiations.

London has committed to avoid a “hard border” with checkpoints between Northern Ireland, part of the UK, and EU-member Ireland, which all sides agree is vital to maintaining the 1998 Good Friday peace accords.

But Britain has also said it will not enter into a customs union with the EU post-Brexit and has been urged to find a solution to reconcile the two positions.

The EU has suggested a “backstop” proposal, in which only Northern Ireland would stay in a customs union with the EU post-Brexit.

French foreign minister JeanYves le Drian said all sides should set themselves a clear deadline of next month to come to a decision.

“What we want is for things to go quickly and a June deadline chosen as the final deadline otherwise the withdrawal agreement will be more complicated,” he told reporters in Dublin before a meeting with his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney.

Britain is due to leave the European Union in March 2019 and Brussels wants negotiations completed by October.

Britain wants to be free of the EU customs union in order to be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the