The European Commission reported on Wednesday 6 March that no solution had yet been found with the UK negotiators on the legal guarantees requested by the United Kingdom regarding the backstop intended to prevent the return of a physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Following talks held in recent days before Tuesday 5 March between the British Secretary of State for Brexit, Stephen Barclay, the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, and the team headed by Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator on Brexit, the latter informed the College of Commissioners that the discussions had been "difficult", said Margaritis Schinas, spokesperson for the European Commission.
"No solution has been identified at this stage that is consistent with the UK withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol, which we will not reopen", the spokesman continued, citing information provided by Michel Barnier.
However, technical discussions are expected to continue this week.
According to English media reports, Geoffrey Cox and Stephen Barclay both confirmed on leaving Brussels that they had had difficult discussions with their European counterparts.
The second decisive vote by British MEPs on the British withdrawal agreement is scheduled for 12 March. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)