#Brexit: Juncker and May say ‘efforts should accelerate over the months to come’

Following a working dinner in Brussels’ Berlaymont building, Prime Minister May and President Jean-Claude Juncker issued a joint statement, writes Catherine Feore.

The statement was issued following an intimate dinner attended by Prime Minister May and her Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis and Commission President Juncker and his Head of Cabinet Martin Selmayr and Michel Barnier – the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiatior.

The dinner comes just two days before the European Council where the EU-27 will deliver their verdict on whether ‘sufficient progress’ has been made in the first phase of negotiations. Barnier, the European Parliament and a number of EU-27 have said that progress is as yet insufficient, but there is much speculation about whether Barnier will ask for some flexibility in his negotiating mandate. The UK has called for a start on discussions on the UK's future relationship with the EU-27.

The statement said that the discussion was a broad and constructive exchange on current European global challenges. The meeting was of course really about Brexit and breaching the current impasse.

The wording is broad and doesn't state much more than the obvious need to accelerate discussions:

“As regards the Article 50 negotiations, both sides agreed that these issues are being discussed in the framework agreed between theEU-27 and the United Kingdom, as set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission reviews the progress made in the Article 50 negotiations so far and agreed that these efforts should accelerated over the months to come.”

It is also at pains to make it clear that the meal took place in a “constructive and friendly atmosphere”.

The commitment to a renewed effort will be reassuring to those who fear that implacable Brexiteers are willing to risk a ‘no-deal Brexit’, a prospect that is deeply unnerving for business. The UK appeared to have turned a corner with May’s Florence speech, but within days it was clear that real progress was still out of reach and the Conservative government in disarray.

Earlier in the day, at the end of a joint press conference with the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Juncker replied to a question on the dinner with May saying: “I have never understood why journalists, even the most illustrious, always ask about the results of a meeting before it has taken place. I will see Mrs May this evening, we will have a discussion and you will see the autopsy.”

The choice of word is hopefully not a reflection of the tone of the meeting.

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