The UK’s team of Brexit negotiators will sit down with their EU
counterparts twice a week throughout September, with the
possibility of additional technical meetings, to discuss a way
forward on securing a new deal.
The Prime Minister’s lead Brexit negotiator , met this week with the
Article 50 Taskforce and agreed that talks would be intensified
in the coming weeks. Kicking off this new phase of discussions,
two meetings will take place next week.
Discussions so far have shown that the two sides remain some
distance apart on key issues but that both sides are willing to
work hard to find a way through.
The teams intend to run through a range of issues including the
impasse around the backstop. The PM has been clear that there
will no new deal unless the Withdrawal Agreement is reopened and
the backstop taken out.
Frost will be joined in Brussels by relevant officials depending
on the agenda for talks on a given day, including experts on
customs, regulatory issues and trade policy
Talks will continue throughout the period that Parliament has
broken ahead of the annual party conference season and the
Queen’s Speech, enabling the UK’s Brexit team to be totally
focused on the task at hand in Brussels.
The Prime Minister said:
“I have said right from my first day in office that we are ready
to work in an energetic and determined way to get a deal done.
While I have been encouraged with my discussions with EU leaders
over recent weeks that there is a willingness to talk about
alternatives to the anti-democratic backstop, it is now time for
both sides to step up the tempo. The increase in meetings and
discussions is necessary if are to have a chance of agreeing a
deal for when we leave on October 31st, no ifs no buts.”
