The European Parliament will today debate and vote on a motion which states that the required "sufficient progress" has not yet been made for talks on a post-Brexit trade deal to begin.

Britain had hoped to have advanced enough for EU leaders to green light trade discussions this month.

But MEPs are expected to back the resolution which calls for the decision to be postponed beyond October's European Council summit.

A fifth round of Brexit negotiations is expected to begin on 9 October but Mr Juncker's comments suggest a breakthrough is unlikely before the Council summit on 18 October.

Council president Donald Tusk and the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier have also said the UK needs to do before negotiations can move on.

 The motion to be voted on by MEPs says it is "vital" that commitments British Prime Minister Theresa May made in her recent speech in Florence translate into "tangible changes" to the UK's position and "concrete proposals".

The text, tabled by the parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt, stresses that Britain must obey EU rules including free movement and European Court of Justice judgments during the transition period of around two years proposed by Mrs May.

It "takes note" of her offer to pay into EU coffers during the transition but bemoans "the absence of clear proposals" and sets out further "financial obligations".

The resolution acknowledges Mrs May's olive branch on EU citizens' rights - a promise to write them into UK law - but stresses the ECJ must remain the "sole and competent authority" for enforcing the withdrawal agreement.

The British Government is also accused in the motion of attempting to "predetermine" trade talks by committing not to introduce any new physical checks on the Irish border, as it presumes either the UK or Northern Ireland will remain in the single market and customs union.

Source: rte.ie

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!