The EU’s chief negotiator today warned there is ‘not a minute to lose’ as he held crunch talks withTheresa May in Downing Street today.
Michel Barnier said Brussels and the UK must ‘accelerate’ progress on Brexit amid tensions over free movement rules and EU laws during a mooted transition period.
The warning came ahead of a potentially difficult encounter with the PM and David Davis in No10.
David Davis (right) welcomed Michel Barnier to Downing Street today as they held talks on the Brexit process
Mr Barnier waved to photographers as he arrived in Downing Street for the talks today
It is the first time the trio have met since EU leaders gave the green light for the second phase of negotiations to start at a summit in December.
As he boarded a Eurostar in Brussels this morning, Mr Barnier told reporters: ‘We have not a minute to lose, because we want to achieve a deal.
‘There is so much work. We have decided for this reason to accelerate the contacts.’
He added: ‘We have to respect the red lines of the British government. But they have to respect the rules of the union.’
Fresh frictions have emerged after the European side insisted that EU law must continue to apply in the UK throughout the post-Brexit transition period – expected to last around two years.
Mrs May has already made clear that she intends to push back against the bloc’s demands that EU citizens who come to the UK during the transition should enjoy the same rights as those who come before Britain leaves the EU on March 29 2019.
Ministers have complained that the demand goes beyond what was agreed at the December summit but senior EU figures – including the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt – insist it is ‘not negotiable’.
Theresa May (pictured returning to Downing Street today) will join Mr Barnier and David Davis (pictured right today) for talks later
Mr Barnier’s scarf appeared to have become shut in the door of his chauffeur-driven car as it drove between St Pancras station and Downing Street today
The Government has also come under fire from its own backbenchers for agreeing that any changes to EU law which are passed during the transition will apply in the UK – even though Britain will have had no say in the decision-making process.
Mr Barnier will be greeted by Mr Davis, before Mrs May joins them for a portion of the talks.
They are also likely to discuss potential ways forward on the ‘end state’ relationship with the EU.
Downing Street last night moved to assuage mounting concerns among Tory Eurosceptics about a softening of Mrs May’s position.
A senior No10 source said the UK would be leaving the existing EU customs union – and also went further by ruling out creating a new customs union with the bloc.
Members of the Cabinet Brexit sub-committee will meet on Wednesday and then again on Thursday as they seek to thrash out an agreement on what future terms the UK will seek.
Mrs May is thought to be plotting to ‘divide and rule’ Cabinet Brexiteers by proposing a compromise deal on links to the EU customs union.
The Prime Minister is said to be floating the idea of a time-limited extension on key parts of the existing customs arrangements.
Government sources suggested that opposition from Boris Johnson could be overcome as fellow Brexiteer Environment Secretary Michael Gove is thought to be open to the idea.
Michel Barnier (pictured at London St Pancras Station today) said the EU and the UK must ‘accelerate’ progress on Brexit talks