Britain and the European Union discuss post-Brexit arrangements and a summit meeting between Merkel and Macron to discuss the financial crisis and the 750-billion-euro project
Britain will start on Monday a new round of intensive discussions, after four rounds that have made little progress in agreeing to the post-exit arrangements (Brexit).
The two parties had agreed to set the schedule for the talks at a high-level meeting in the middle of this month, six months before reaching an agreement before the European Union regulations in Britain ceased.
British newspaper “Telegraph” reported that David Frost, the chief British negotiator, was due to arrive in Brussels on Sunday as head of a team of 20 negotiators a week before the talks.
Government sources, whose names have not been released, told the Telegraph newspaper that the British side does not want to waste time in talks that are not making progress.
The failure to reach a formula for future relations between the two sides may result in a difficult economic situation for both sides.
Britain has blocked the extension of negotiations with the European Union.
In another context, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold a bilateral summit in Germany, Monday, before the scheduled summit of the leaders of the European Union in the middle of next July to discuss the European Economic Recovery Fund to face the repercussions of the emerging Coronavirus pandemic and the European Union budget.
France, Germany and southern European countries were severely affected by the pandemic, and they support the European Commission’s proposal to establish a recovery fund with capital of 750 billion euros, including 500 billion euros (565 billion dollars) to be funded from the EU budget and 250 billion euros to be borrowed.
On the other hand, there is a camp in the European Union called the “frugal quartet” and includes Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden opposed to granting the European countries affected by the Coronavirus pandemic a great deal of aid without undertaking economic reforms.
A source in the Elysee Palace said last week that France is optimistic and insists on this fund, admitting that no agreement has been reached on it.
The source said that Macron’s visit to Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rote in The Hague on Tuesday made some progress, adding that reaching an agreement next July is in the interest of all.
European Union leaders held a video conference earlier this month and are scheduled to hold a direct meeting on July 17 and 18 in an attempt to reach an agreement on the EU recovery package and budget for the years 2021 to 2027.
Macron and Merkel will discuss during the summit that will be held in the Messesberg region, north of Berlin, after this afternoon the file of the upcoming presidency of the European Council and issues of climate change, trade and immigration, according to a source in the Elysee.
During the evening dinner, the two leaders will also discuss issues including European relations with the United States, China and Turkey, the conflict in Libya and the West African coast region.
