Four days of talks over Britain's planned departure from the European Union have come to end. But officials from both sides of the table have been critical of the lack of progress.
Image: Reuters/F. Lenoir
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Britain and the European Union concluded their third round of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on Thursday after several days of public squabbling.
At a joint news conference with David Davis, the UK's Secretary of State for Brexit, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the talks had not led to "any decisive progress on essential matters." Barnier reminded the UK that "time is pressing" and reiterated that the UK cannot be "outside the single market and shape its legal order."
Brexit negotiations: What are the key issues?
Brexit talks began in June and both sides have been frustrated at the lack of progress. DW has taken a look at key issues being debated in Brussels as the clock ticks toward Britain's scheduled departure in March 2019.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/o. Hoslet
Two phases
EU leaders agreed to negotiating guidelines during a summit in April 2017 that divided the divorce talks into two phases. Phase I, in which both sides aimed to settle the basic terms of Britain's departure, started in July and ended with an agreement on "sufficient progress" in December. Officials are now holding Phase II negotiations on the post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU.
Image: Reuters/File Photo/Y. Herman
The "Brexit Bill"
London agreed to a formula for calculating what it owes in its "divorce bill" to the EU in early December after months of haggling by British officials. The current EU budget expires in 2022 and EU officials have said the divorce bill will cover financial obligations Britain had committed to before triggering article 50. The final bill will reportedly total around £50 billion (€67 billion).
Image: picture-alliance/empics/D. Martinez
Citizens' rights
Both sides agreed in early December that the 3 million EU citizens currently in Britain and the 1.1 million British citizens in the EU keep their residency rights after Brexit. British courts will have immediate jurisdiction over EU citizens living in Britain. But the EU's highest court, the ECJ, can hear cases until 2027 if British judges refer unclear cases to them.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Smith
The Irish border
Britain and the EU also agreed in December that no border checks between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would return post-Brexit. How feasible the commitment will be is unclear, as Britain's commitment to leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union makes it difficult to avoid customs checks at the Irish border.
Image: Reuters/C. Kilcoyne
Transition period
Theresa May envisages a two-year transition period after March 2019. Both sides still have to hash out the details of the transition period in Phase II, including the exact end-date, whether new EU laws passed during the period will apply to Britain, and whether Britain can negotiate its own free trade deals. British officials hope to agree on the terms of the transition by March 2018.
Image: Imago
Trade
May has repeatedly said Britain will leave the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union. Leaving both could disrupt British-EU trade, but allow Britain to negotiate its own free trade deals and restrict EU migration — key demands by pro-Brexit politicians. London has said it wants to negotiate a new EU-UK trade deal during Phase II to minimize trade disruption before March 2019.
Image: Picture alliance/empics/A. Matthews
Immigration
Britain has also vowed to restrict EU migration into Britain after Brexit. However, some British lawmakers are wary that a sharp drop in immigration could lead to shortfalls in key sectors, including health, social care and construction. The EU has warned that Single Market access is out of the question if London decides to restrict the ability of its citizens to live and work in Britain.
Image: picture alliance/PA Wire /S. Parsons
Security
Recent terror attacks across Europe including a string in Britain underline both sides' support for continued security cooperation after March 2019. But access to EU institutions such as Europol and programs such as the European Arrest Warrant require compliance with EU laws. Whether Britain will still be compliant after it leaves is unclear.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/o. Hoslet
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He said there seemed to be a "kind of nostalgia" on the part of the UK to keep some of the benefits of the single market.
David Davis: talks productive
Davis, sounding confident and upbeat, called the talks "productive" and, unlike Barnier, focused on various technical details that he said had been achieved. He urged both sides to focus on being pragmatic and "put people above process." He conceded that there were still "significant differences to be bridged."
The two sides are hoping to progress on three main points - the UK's financial commitments to the EU, the rights of EU citizens in the UK and the status of Northern Ireland.
Talks started on Monday and within two days, both sides were publicly trading recriminations over a lack of progress. Diplomats told the Associated Press that talks had become more acrimonious.
The British complained that Barnier was made too inflexible by the EU's negotiating guidelines, which were laboriously agreed upon by member states.
"It's quite difficult to negotiate with people who don't seem to have the flexibility that would allow them to negotiate," one British official was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.
Barnier rejected these suggestions in a post on Twitter, and renewed calls for clarity on Britain's wishes.
EU officials say that once potential compromises are identified, they can bring them to EU member states for appraisal.
British officials denied they were unclear on their desires and short on ideas. When talks started, Davis said that a series of British position papers were "products of the hard work and detailed thinking that has been going on behind the scenes not just the last few weeks but the last 12 months."
The UK is set to leave the European Union by March 2019. Barnier's and Davis's teams are set to meet again next month. A review of the talks is scheduled for October.
