The European Union is concerned about the link that the British seem to be making between maintaining the peace process in Northern Ireland after Brexit and the UK's future post-Brexit trade relationship with the EU.
"It is very important that the peace process does not become a bargaining chip in these negotiations", a European source stated on Friday 25 August.
The EU is holding to the line it has drawn on the negotiation process for the UK's withdrawal from the EU – settling the divorce-related aspects of Brexit first (the status of citizens, the budget balance and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) before addressing issues linked to the future relationship.
Although unofficial figures that circulated on a 'British slate' have pushed the British political class to flatly reject the payment of this bill, the position of Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, seemed to be more flexible on Friday. In an interview with the BBC, he said the UK was essentially a nation that respected its commitments, especially financial commitments. However, "we should pay not a penny more, not a penny less, of what we think our legal obligations amount to", he added.
An oral British legal analysis is due to be presented to the EU negotiators at the third round of negotiations during the week of 28 August (see other article). The EU recognises that there will be no discussion of figures at this stage but that it will at least be important to agree on a methodology for calculating the UK's financial obligations.
Asked about the possibility of the British deliberately delaying the discussion on the financial aspects as a negotiating strategy, another European source said that such a strategy was "not in their interests".
Dividing the negotiation into two phases (the withdrawal, then the future relationship) is a European choice for three reasons. Firstly, the British decision to leave the EU has created enormous uncertainty so it is important to provide security to citizens, to the recipients of European funds, and to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Secondly, in order to build a constructive relationship in the future, it is important to work on the basis of trust, this European source stated. Thirdly, if the difficult issues are left until the end of the negotiation, it "increases the risk of failure", the source concluded.
The EU was furthermore unable to say exactly when this third round of negotiations would start, as Monday 28 August is a public holiday in most of the UK. It nevertheless seems very likely that the third round will begin on Monday. The EU, for its part, is not worried that a lack of time would prevent the negotiations from advancing – "so far it’s been a lack of substance", the source said ironically.
Elsewhere, it is also worth noting that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is to host the former British prime minister Tony Blair the same week. (Original version in French by Élodie Lamer)