Huge #Brexit week starts today:It’s the last scheduled round of EU-UK negotiations to work out trade + other future relations eg police cooperation, security. Today there’s an EU-UK meeting to discuss Internal Market Bill and if Downing Street intends to break the Divorce Deal /1
And on Thurs+Friday this week there’s an EU leaders summit in Brussels. #Brexit is not focus of summit but EU’s chief negotiator will advise if there’s been real movement this week on key EU-UK sticking points ie Fish +competition rules: environment, labour + gov subsidy regime/2
in particular.If yes- meaning from Brussels point of view the UK is willing to compromise on its position (EU clear it has to budge from its position too) then EU leaders will become more involved. Barnier remains chief negotiator - leaders have faith in him but to clinch deal/3
political compromise is needed from both EU and UK. As one diplomat put it to me: “There’s EU-UK agreement on 90% of technical issues in negotiations but last 10% is political and if that landing zone can’t be found, there’ll be no deal this autumn.” /4
If both sides “sniff” real compromise in each other’s positions this week then we might see negotiators enter a “tunnel” next week. Meaning intense negotiations with no leaking of proceedings to outside world BUT EU side says won’t enter for the optics. /5
They say will only enter tunnel if “landing zone” already visible. Currently, says Brussels, this is not the case. That’s why this week is crunch week - Yes you’ve heard it before but time wise (transition period ends 31 Dec) we are now in the end game /6
EU countries already mulling compromises they could make (tho not all member states on same page) See my blog bbc.com/news/world-eur… But UK is going to have to make considerable changes or there will be no deal. Both sides insist they really want a deal - but not at any cost /7
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