Although it will be very "difficult", an agreement with the United Kingdom on an orderly withdrawal from the European Union can still be reached by the time of the EU summit, but it must be almost finalised on Tuesday 15 October at midnight for referral to the capitals on Wednesday 16 October and for the Twenty-Seven to give their approval on Thursday 17 October.
This is the message that the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, sent to the 27 European Affairs Ministers meeting on Tuesday...