Brexit: First phase of talks may not be completed until Christmas, says EU Parliament President

Progress on Brexit talks could be hampered by 'foggy proposals', EU chief warns

The European Parliament's President Antonio Tajani (Getty Images)

The first phase of Brexit negotiations may not be completed until Christmas, the President of the European Parliament has said.

Antonio Tajani said he would advise senior MEPs to postpone the decision on whether “sufficient progress” had been made in the talks until December amid concerns over lack of movement on key issues such as citizen’s rights and the so-called divorce bill.

Britain is pushing to move to the second phase of discussions, which will cover trade, but former European Council President Herman van Rompuy added his concern, saying the chances of Brexit talks moving on next month are "in the neighbourhood of zero".

The European Council had been expected to announce its verdict on the negotiations at a summit in October.

Leaked position papers due to be published by the EU on Thursday outlined the Commission's approach to a raft of key issues, including one that laid the responsibility of deciding the arrangements for the Irish border with Britain

In an interview with Politico, Mr Tajani said: “We have three irrevocable priorities which are: rights for three-and-a-half million EU citizens living in the U.K.; the payment of what the EU deserves — not a euro more nor a euro less; third point, the Good Friday Agreement, that has to give us a positive solution for the border between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland.

“Once we have reached an agreement on these three points, we can talk about the future.

“Without an agreement on this, we cannot talk about the future.

“So far we have noted that no concrete proposals have arrived, only very foggy proposals.”

Mr Tajani said Britain was trying to “buy time” ahead of the Conservative party conference in October but warned that the negotiations could not be delayed for too long.

He said: “I will ask the Council tomorrow [to extend the deadline] but it’s not our fault, but due to delays.

“And the Brits are the ones who will be mostly affected by it. It is not a tragedy, but we cannot postpone further than December.”

Mr van Rompuy said that the UK needed to provide more "clarity" about its intentions and warned that without a "breakthrough" on the divorce bill, trade talks could be pushed back after December.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm not a negotiator, (but from) what I hear and what I read in the press, the chances that we are ready in October are in the neighbourhood of zero."

Asked if progress could be delayed beyond December, he replied: "Let's hope that we have a breakthrough. The latest declarations are not reassuring, but let's hope... If there is no breakthrough, for instance on the financial settlement..."

It comes as MPs prepare for a two-day debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, which will transfer EU law into British law after Brexit.

Ministers have urged MPs to back the key legislation - formerly known as the repeal bill - but Jeremy Corbyn has ordered his party to oppose the bill.