Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier...........>

EU: Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaking at the European Policy

Centre think tank, states that the UK has shown no willingness to engage in key

areas of discussion. Speech seems largely a re-run of that given at the end of

the last EU-UK FTA negotiation round. 

- "We now need clear signals the UK is ready to work on an agreement that

respects [the Political Declaration] within the spirit and in the letter. If we

get this signal next week and make concrete progress in July all the better."

- "Whether this happens or not, the ball is in the UK's court. Already in the

last rounds we made a number of openings in key areas but at the time the UK

showed no willingness to engage. In any case the real moment of truth will be in

October."

- October being raised as an important date as concluding an FTA by then would

give time to get the deal ratified by EU-27 parliaments and EU institutions by

year-end.