EU envoy says ‘much more work’ needed to clinch Brexit deal
HELSINKI — The European Union’s Brexit negotiator on Thursday said that gaps remain to be bridged in talks on the U.K.’s departure from the bloc as time runs out to secure a deal and have it endorsed.
Britain leaves the EU on March 29, but a deal must be sealed in the coming weeks to leave enough time for the U.K. Parliament and European Parliament to sign off on it.
“We need much more work” to clinch an agreement, Michel Barnier told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a gathering of centre-right political parties in Helsinki, Finland.
The main obstacle to an agreement is how to keep goods flowing smoothly across the border between the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. All parties have committed to avoid a “hard border” with costly, time-consuming border checks that would hamper business. Any new customs posts on the border could also re-ignite lingering sectarian tensions.