Sunday, April 30, 2017

EU Threatens Theresa May on Trade Talks and Its Citizens' Rights


THE GUARDIAN: European leaders take hard line on Brexit at special summit, agreeing unanimously on rigid stance in just four minutes

The European Union has called on Theresa May to provide immediate “serious and real” guarantees to its citizens living in Britain. The EU leaders took just four minutes at a special summit to agree unanimously an uncompromising opening stance in the Brexit negotiations.

Leaders said they would not discuss a future trade deal with the British government until “sufficient progress” is made on the issues of Britain’s estimated €60bn divorce bill, the rights of EU nationals in the UK, and the border in Ireland.

The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, told reporters at the special summit in Brussels that EU citizens in Britain were the number one priority, and that he had discussed the need for Britain to now live up to its warm words regarding EU citizens during a dinner with the prime minister in Downing Street last week. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Saturday, April 29, 2017