Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker received the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a working lunch in Luxembourg on Monday 16 September, which the two men described as "constructive" and "friendly" but which, according to Mr Juncker, was not yet the moment for London to put concrete proposals on the table for a Brexit deal.
At the end of the lunch, which was also attended by the EU's Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, and the British Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Stephen Barclay, Mr Juncker recalled that it was the "United Kingdom's responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement". The President also reiterated that the Commission was ready to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and that the October European Council would be crucial.
For its part, the British government has indicated that the Prime Minister has reiterated his determination to respect the Good Friday Agreement and to find an agreement "with the backstop removed" that can be supported by the British Parliament. The Prime Minister also reiterated that he would not request an extension of the Article 50 period. Discussions will intensify and continue on a daily basis, the press service commented.
The working lunch was intended to take stock of the technical discussions that the European and British teams have been holding in Brussels for several weeks.
But this Luxembourg visit turned into chaos for Mr Johnson, who left early and did not hold the planned press conference with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel because of the particularly loud protests outside. Xavier Bettel therefore spoke alone, mainly calling on his counterpart to "act" and avoid leaving without a deal. Repeating the solidarity of the Twenty-Six with Ireland, the Luxembourg Prime Minister also asked London to stop blaming the EU for the "mess we are in at the moment". (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)