EU envoys agree Brexit extension is needed, no date set
LONDON: European Union ambassadors agreed on Friday that the bloc should grant Britain’s request for another extension to the Brexit deadline but they have not yet figured out how long that delay should be.
Speaking on Friday in Brussels after EU ambassadors met with the EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said ambassadors from the EU’s 27 other nations accepted the terms of an extension and their “work will continue in the coming days.”
Two European diplomats said the ambassadors would meet again early next week. Andreeva hinted that the EU would not hold a special summit on Brexit to approve the extension, saying the decision will likely be made in a statement.
“We are not very far, and there is no doubt we will find a deal early next week,” one diplomat said. The person, who asked not be identified because talks are continuing, added that the ongoing debate in Britain over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request for a general election could have an impact on the length of the delay.
Britain is scheduled to leave the 28-nation bloc on October 31 but has asked for a threemonth extension to that deadline as Johnson struggles to get lawmakers to pass his Brexit divorce deal. Economists say a no-deal departure would hurt both the UK and the EU economies. France, among other EU nations, has been reluctant to approve a long Brexit extension, saying Britain must present “a clear scenario” for progress before another Brexit delay is granted.