Brexit is back (no, really...). On Wednesday @MichelBarnier will speak to @DavidGHFrost by video link (it's understood). Both sides will take stock of where the EU-UK future relationship negotiations are going and how they might be managed for the rest of April and May.
2/ With only one face-to-face round (March 2) under their belts, both teams have been making do with phone calls and video conferencing, mostly clarifying aspects of the draft texts exchanged on March 18
3/ But the logistics have been naturally frustrating: officials trying to work from home (kids, spouses), the absence of developing personal rapport with opposite numbers, the difficulty of keeping member states informed, who in turn need to inform ministers + parliaments
4/ Officials also on both sides coming down with the virus...
5/ So far, there's been no appetite on the EU side - apart from a European People's Party (EPP) statement, which is viewed as having backfired - to start pushing for the UK to seek an extension to the transition period
6/ View in capitals is that there's no point in starting a row on that at this time, especially when the UK and most other EU countries, are consumed by the pandemic.
7/ But a decision is needed before July 1. Also, as @GeorginaEWright has pointed out, the terms and conditions of any extension will have to be agreed between the Barnier Task Force and the UK side, and among member states BEFORE July 1. ie, money, the EU's long term budget, CAP
8/ Member states are also frustrated that the UK has insisted its draft text not be shared it them. Instead the Commission can only share its "analysis" with member states. This is also slowing things up.
9/ The WA says any extension to the transition must be agreed by both sides through the Joint Committee. But it is silent on who has to mention it first. Politically, the EU would be loathe to request the UK to seek an extension, so the belief is it's up to Michael Gove
10/ As for the talks so far, there appears to be convergence on both sets of texts on an FTA for goods, aviation, road haulage, civil-nuclear cooperation; but on the big difficult issues - level-playing field, governance, fisheries - no progress. As expected.
