United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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The European Commission has rejected a request from the British government to speak about Brexit this weekend.
The proposals put forward by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday are not a basis for concluding an agreement on the UK's planned withdrawal from the European Union on 31 October, the Commission said, according to a Sky News report.
There will be no talk this weekend about Johnson's proposals to replace the backstop, the British broadcaster quoted a spokeswoman for the EU authority. The UK will get another opportunity on Monday to present its proposals in detail.
The Times had previously quoted an EU diplomat as saying that if there were talks at the weekend, it would seem like a neat deal. "We are still a long way from that."
"Not even a basis"
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, had already rejected the British offer of Brexit in similar terms. "At least in its current form, the British proposals are not even a rudimentary basis for an agreement that could be approved by the European Parliament," Sassoli told SPIEGEL. Parliament was very attentive to the proposals. "Unfortunately, the result of this first evaluation is not very positive."
The main issue is how the border between the EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland should be shaped in the future. The emergency solution called "backstop" stipulates that the border will remain permeable after the UK leaves the EU until a final settlement is found. However, Northern Ireland will remain part of the EU internal market until then. Johnson and the majority of the Parliament in London reject this.
On Wednesday, Johnson proposed uniform regulations across the Irish island for certain areas of the trade. A reconstruction of border and customs facilities should be avoided.
The PM said on Friday that he did not want to ask the EU to postpone the Brexit appointment. At the same time, however, his government also announced on Friday that Johnson would write to the EU asking Brexit to postpone it until 19 October, when no divorce agreement has been reached. The Heads of State and Government will meet on 17 and 18 October for their summit in Brussels.