Britain has set tight deadline, not moving in talks: EU’s Barnier

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The clock is ticking even more than before in talks on the future relationship between Britain and the European Union, but Britain is failing to move despite setting a tight timetable, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said on Friday.

“(Britain) has imposed this very rigorous calendar, exceptional for such an important negotiation,” Michel Barnier told a news conference after a second week of talks between Brussels and London.

“The United Kingdom cannot impose this very short calendar for negotiations and at the same time not move, not progress on certain subjects that are important for the European Union,” he continued. Britain has a June deadline for extending its transition period.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Robin Emmott)