Theresa May is in Brussels meeting with top EU figures, hoping to finalise the first stages of Brexit negotiations.
Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting with Jean Claude Juncker the European Commission president and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council.
UK’s prime minister Theresa May meets European Council president Donald Tusk. #EUCO president said he was ready to present draft EU27 guidelines tomorrow for #Brexit talks on transition and future. But UK and European Commission asked for more time. pic.twitter.com/l82TKlZXK6
— Johan Dobbelaere (@ProductiehuisEU) 4 December 2017
The BBC are reporting that Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts told their political editor Laura Kuenssberg that the UK has made concessions with regards to the Irish boarder.
The Democratic Unionist Party which is currently supporting the Conservatives, has reacted to reports that Northern Ireland could maintain “regulatory alignment’ with the European Union.
We will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/uCBVdfVQTJ
— Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) 4 December 2017
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister has also reacted on Twitter to these developments from Brussels.
If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market (which is the right solution for Northern Ireland) there is surely no good practical reason why others can’t.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) 4 December 2017
This all comes ahead of a European Council meeting set to take place on the 15th of December. The assembly will review the latest developments in the negations, assessing whether enough progress has been made on three key areas:
- Citizen’s rights
- Ireland
- Financial obligations
If reports on a final agreement are actuate, phase two of talks could soon be on the horizon.
(Sub-Martin Steers)