'No Substantial Progress' Since Beginning of UK-EU Talks on Permanent Brexit Deal, EU Negotiator Says

The European Union and the United Kingdom have made “no substantial progress since the beginning” of negotiations over a permanent arrangement following the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU at the end of January this year, said EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier in a June 5 statement. The two sides “cannot continue like this forever,” Barnier said, “especially given the United Kingdom's continued refusal to extend the transition period.”

“Round after round,” the U.K. is failing to abide by the political statement negotiated between the two sides prior to Brexit, Barnier said. “We cannot accept this backtracking on the Political Declaration. And we will request the full respect of the Withdrawal Agreement,” he said. A high-level meeting scheduled for June to take stock of the negotiations is fast approaching in June, and marks a “moment of truth” in the negotiations, Barnier said.

U.K. chief negotiator David Frost said in his own statement that “progress remains limited but our talks have been positive in tone.” He said that “negotiations will continue and we remain committed to a successful outcome.” The U.K. and the EU are currently discussing how to intensify and accelerate their work, Frost said, noting that the negotiations must be concluded “in good time” to give people and businesses “certainty about the trading terms that will follow the end of the transition period at the end of this year, and, if necessary, to allow ratification of any agreements reached.”