MNI: UK, EU Pass Buck On Lack Of Weds Brexit Talks

By Tara Oakes

     BRUSSELS (MNI) - Neither side wanted to take responsibility for the scant

Brexit talks timetable this week in Brussels, with blame for the glaring gap of

scheduled midweek negotiations shuffled between the UK and EU.

     Asked why no negotiations are in place for Wednesday, EC Chief Spokesman

Margaritis Schinas told journalists that EU teams "are available 24/7".

     "The timing of talks depends on the availability of the UK partners," he

added.

     But Britain disputes that they are to blame for the day of rest -- in what

are the final 'first-round talks' scheduled before the European Council has to

decide on whether sufficient progress has been made to open talks on the future

relationship.

     A spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the EU said: "The talks this

week were a mutually agreed programme designed to give both sides the best

chance to make progress."

     "We have always been clear that we are ready to negotiate at any time."

     With no proper negotiations scheduled on one of the key sticking points --

the so-called divorce bill -- chances of sufficient progress being declared this

week have dwindled to non-existent. Lower level technical working groups will

discuss the financial settlement, but that will not be enough for the

declaration of progress required.

     Schinas said that for the EC, "our goal is to reach a deal" -- but the

overall prognosis remained bleak.

     "There has been no solution found yet on the first phase of negotiations,"

he said.

--MNI Brussels Bureau; +44 203-865-3851; email: tara.oakes@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$B$$$,M$E$$$,MC$$$$,MI$$$$]