EU, UK fail to reach agreement in Brexit talks

Britain and the European Union have failed to reach an agreement on the future rights of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe after Brexit.

The EU and UK Brexit teams failed to reach an agreement on 22 of the 44 issues under negotiation, a joint working paper has revealed. The Guardian reports.

There are fundamental disagreements on 14 issues and a further eight areas that need further clarification, the document revealed.

“I think we need to see how this will develop with the next two or three rounds of talks when we will have a better idea,” said Anne-Laure Donskoy, chair of the “3 million” group campaigning for the rights of EU citizens in the UK.

There is serious disagreement on the way in which permanent residency is granted to EU citizens in the UK.

The two sides are also still in disagreement on “posted workers” in Britain, those European workers who are moved by the employer or voluntarily to another EU country on a temporary basis.

The biggest point of difference is Britain's insistence that the European Court of Justice should not be involved in disputes that may arise after Brexit.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said after negotiations with his UK counterpart David Davis on Thursday in Brussels that the two sides still had "fundamental" differences over Britain's exit bill and over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.

Thursday’s Brexit talks were the second round since negotiations formally began in June, a year after Britain's historic referendum vote to leave the 28-member European bloc.

SS