EU could grant Britain short Brexit delay: officials
By Trend
The European Union would be ready to approve a short Brexit delay should Britain need more time to ensure parliamentary ratification of their divorce agreement, three EU officials said on Tuesday, Trend reports referring to Reuters.
EU leaders have increasingly pushed British Prime Minister Theresa May for an extension of the negotiating time as they see no majority in her split parliament to approve the Brexit deal, and want to avoid disruptions that would follow an abrupt split.
May on Tuesday offered the possibility of a short delay to Brexit, drawing a largely positive response from Brussels.
“If a request for a delay of the Brexit date is submitted, it would be considered favorably,” a senior EU official said. “We have not seen a request but an extension of a couple of months would be relatively straightforward.
Another EU official said it was “good to see rational arguments being heard” in Britain. A third person, speaking on condition of unanimity, said this would be “in line” with EU thinking on how to get to a final Brexit deal.
EU and UK officials were continuing talks in Brussels on Tuesday to give Britain more assurances on the deal and make it acceptable to the House of Commons.