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| Juncker again warned that November's withdrawal agreement could not be renegotiated, after May came hoping to persuade Brussels to agree on the need to change the so-called "backstop" clause for the Irish border (AFP Photo/Aris Oikonomou) |
Brussels (AFP) - Britain and the EU agreed Thursday to hold more talks to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit after a "robust" meeting between Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.
Juncker
reiterated in a joint statement that the EU-UK divorce agreement struck in
November cannot be renegotiated, rebuffing May's attempts to change
arrangements for the Irish border.
But Juncker
expressed "openness to add wording" to a parallel political
declaration laying out plans for future EU-UK ties, with hopes this could break
the deadlock.
After his
own talks with May, EU President Donald Tusk warned there was "no
breakthrough in sight", although the British leader said she had seen
willingness from Brussels to find a deal.
May has
been desperately trying to salvage the withdrawal agreement she spent months
negotiating with Brussels, after it was rejected by the British parliament last
month.
She has
been working with her own MPs to find a way through, but an EU official said
that in Thursday's meeting with Tusk, she "did not offer any new concrete
proposals".
Instead,
Tusk apparently suggested to May that she study a plan laid out by British opposition
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
May has
already rejected the proposal for an EU-UK customs union, but the EU leader
said it "might be a promising way out of the impasse", the official
told AFP.
Talk has
been growing that even if MPs finally back the deal, Britain may have to delay
Brexit, scheduled for March 29, to get the necessary legislation through
parliament.
But May vowed: "I'm going to deliver Brexit, I'm going to deliver it on time."
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Irish Prime
Minister Leo Varadkar, whose government has stressed the importance
of
maintaining an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit,
said recent "instability in British politics" showed why a backstop
was essential
(AFP Photo/Aris Oikonomou)
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But May vowed: "I'm going to deliver Brexit, I'm going to deliver it on time."
Legally-binding changes
The impasse
has deepened fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal in 50
days time, disrupting trade and supplies to manufacturing.
In a sharp
reminder of the urgency of finding a solution, Bank of England governor Mark
Carney warned that Britain's economy was "not yet prepared" for a
no-deal departure.
Speaking to
reporters as she left Brussels, May said she had spelled out Britain's
"clear position" that legally-binding changes are needed to the
so-called backstop plan for the Irish border.
Her MPs
fear the arrangement, which would keep Britain tied to EU trade rules if and
until another way was found to keep the frontier open, is a "trap".
Such
changes to the Irish question were not forthcoming, but instead May got a fresh
round of talks.
EU
negotiator Michel Barnier will now meet British Brexit Minister Stephen Barclay
in Strasbourg on Monday for what an EU official described as
"exploratory" negotiations.
May herself
will meet Juncker again before the end of February.
She is also
sending her top lawyer, Geoffrey Cox, who has been looking at a possible time
limit or exit mechanism on the backstop, to Dublin ahead of her own dinner on
Friday night with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
Varadkar, whose government has stressed the importance of maintaining an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, said recent "instability in British politics" showed why a backstop was essential.
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Jeremy
Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour party, wrote to May on
Thursday setting out his five conditions for backing her on Brexit -- including
the UK staying in the EU's customs union (AFP Photo)
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Varadkar, whose government has stressed the importance of maintaining an open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, said recent "instability in British politics" showed why a backstop was essential.
'Special place in hell'
Expectations
for Thursday's visit were already modest when, a day earlier, Tusk and Juncker
torched May's prospects of winning changes to the withdrawal agreement.
Tusk, who
represents EU member leaders as head of the European Council, also triggered
outrage across the Channel by damning pro-Brexit politicians.
"I've
been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who
promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out
safely," he said.
May said
she had raised the incendiary remarks in their meeting, calling them "not
helpful" and saying they had caused "widespread dismay" in
Britain.
She insists
that without changes to the backstop, her deal will never pass the British
parliament.
But May has
exasperated EU leaders by repeatedly coming to Brussels without detailed proposals.
Labour
leader Corbyn wrote to May ahead of his visit suggesting that he would accept
the backstop, but saying he wanted changes to the declaration on future ties.
These
include a customs union, which May opposes because it would not allow Britain to
have its own trade policy.
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