MNI BRIEF: Still Hope For UK/EU Deal; Implementation Possible

There is still a chance the UK and Brussels will agree a deal before the end of the year and the European Parliament would then need to find a way to push through implementation, said Sven Giegold a German MEP and spokesperson for the European Green grouping. Giegold said if a deal does arrive, the EP will look at it, see if implementation is possible within the Dec 31 time frame and, if not, seek a way to an extension arrangement.

If there is a deal in coming weeks, the EP "will look at it and judge it, weighing up the costs and benefits and whether to accept to have an extra plenary to vote it or whether it's impossible," he said.

Accepting that there was still the possibility of no deal between the European Union and the UK, Geigold was adamant Brussels would find a way to avoid 'a rupture' at the end of the year.

"There will be a solution to avoid rupture on first of January - Europe has always found a way around problems like this," he said.