The European Commission is willing to “work day and night” on Brexit, President Jean-Claude Juncker told the plenary of the European Parliament on Wednesday.
He added that he believed a deal with the UK on its conditions of leaving the European Union (EU) was “desirable and possible”.
Juncker addressed MEPs with the EU’s Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union ahead of a debate on the subject.
The backstop remains the “main sticking point,” the Commission head said, adding: “I have no emotional attachment to the backstop, but stand by objectives it is designed to achieve.”
Juncker said his talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Luxembourg on Monday were “friendly” and “in part constructive”.
He added that he had asked Johnson for written, practical steps on how he wanted to move forward and until this was done Juncker couldn’t say progress had been made.
Barnier echoed Juncker’s sentiment saying: “We (the EU) are open to any UK proposal and are willing to work day and night towards this purpose.”
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has told Boris Johnson to stop “pretending” he is negotiating a Brexit deal, amid concerns that the prime minister is not trying to reach an agreement.
It comes after reports that proposals brought to Brussels by UK negotiators amounted to the old agreement, with the section on the Irish backstop simply crossed out in the text.
Speaking in the European Parliament Michel Barnier said: “Almost three years after the UK referendum, I don’t think we should be spending time pretending to negotiate. I think we need to move forward with determination.”
European lawmakers will later vote on the merits of giving the UK an extension to Article 50 at a summit on October 17 in Brussels.
The UK’s Supreme court is currently hearing appeals over the legality of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s closing down — or proroguing — of parliament until October 14.
Watch live footage of the addresses, debate and vote here
Via Euronews
