Prolonging Brexit talks ‘should not be excluded’, says key EU power broker

By Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com

03-07-2017

EXCLUSIVE / The complexity of the Brexit negotiations means extending the talks by one year should not be excluded, according to the spokesperson of the European People’s Party (EPP), the leading power broker in the EU institutions.

Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan said that "the worst case scenario is the no deal scenario. It’s bad for the EU too but it’s primarily a disaster for the UK."
[European People's Party/Flickr]

The declaration by Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan, spokesperson of the European People’s Party (EPP), is the first time the EU’s leading centre-right political family publicly admits that Brexit talks may have to be prolonged.

If that extension eventually materialises, it would be a major concession to the government of UK Prime Minister Theresa May which only managed to kick off negotiations on 19 June, one year after the historic referendum on EU membership.

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Brexit talks start with smiles, focus on tough issues

The historic talks on how the United Kingdom and the EU will go separate ways in 2019 kicked off on Monday (19 June) with the two sides agreeing on a timetable, structure and priorities.

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“Third scenario”

So far, the Brexit talks have taken place with two scenarios in mind.

Under the first scenario, negotiations successfully conclude within the two-year period provided for by Article 50 of the EU Treaty, including ratification of Britain’s exit deal by all 28 EU member states.

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