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AFP
London
The EU's chief negotiator stepped up the pressure on British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday on the eve of her major speech on Brexit, warning that stalled divorce talks would only progress if she offered some"clear commitments".
Michel Barnier said a quick deal on the conditions of Britain's departure from the European Union was still possible, but only if London tabled new proposals when negotiations resume next week.
"To make progress, we are waiting for clear commitments from the UK on these precise issues. We will listen attentively and constructively to Theresa May's important speech tomorrow in Florence," he said.
Reports suggest May's speech today will include an offer on Britain's financial obligations and a proposal for a time-limited transition into a new deal with the EU.
A fourth round of talks with the European Commission is due to start on Monday, and London is keen to make progress so the negotiations can move onto the question of trade.
But the run-up to May's speech was dominated by a row within her own government, after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson set out his vision for a clean break with the EU in a newspaper article last weekend.
It was widely viewed as a challenge to the prime minister, whose hold on power remains fragile since losing her parliamentary majority in the June election.
She called a special cabinet meeting at Downing Street on Thursday morning to brief ministers on her plans, which lasted two and a half hours.
In a public show of unity, a smiling Johnson walked out with Finance Minister Philip Hammond, a rival who is thought to favour closer ties with the EU.
May triggered the two-year countdown to Brexit in March, and Barnier noted that time was running out.
"If we want a deal, time is of the essence," he told an Italian parliamentary commission in Rome.
Brussels has three priorities for the first stage of Brexit talks -- Britain's financial settlement, the rights of EU nationals living in Britain, and the Irish border.
The Financial Times reported that May will offer to meet Britain's contributions for two years after Brexit, until the end of the EU's current budget period in 2020.
The BBC said there would be an"open and generous" offer on the question of money, to ensure there was no budget black hole as a result of Britain's departure.
Ministers also discussed the issue of a transition deal to bridge the gap between Brexit and the implementation of new trading arrangements with the EU, it said.
Miles Celic, chief executive of The City UK, the lobby group for the financial sector, warned that detail on the transition was crucial, saying it was"crunch time".
