Britain and the EU are targeting a Brexit divorce deal within three weeks, with negotiators drawing up a political road map that seeks to overcome the toughest unresolved issues on a financial settlement and Northern Ireland.
Theresa May’s moves to settle the “divorce bill” has given new momentum to talks, allowing negotiators to pencil in the week of December 4 as a breakthrough moment when the two sides, within days, take decisive steps to open a second phase of trade talks.
Senior EU diplomats say there is now a better than even chance of agreement on “sufficient progress” at an EU summit on December 14-15. But they warn that political miscalculations over the hardest remaining issues could easily derail plans. Britain has yet to disclose its offer details and diplomats fear the gap with the EU may still be large.