News AP News The Latest: EU's Barnier: more time needed for Brexit deal

The Latest: EU's Barnier: more time needed for Brexit deal

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, says a deal with Britain might not come before November after talks hit an impasse over the weekend.

The Latest: EU's Barnier: more time needed for Brexit deal Image Source : APThe Latest: EU's Barnier: more time needed for Brexit deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Britain's departure from the European Union (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, says a deal with Britain might not come before November after talks hit an impasse over the weekend. 

Speaking on the eve of an EU leaders' summit in Brussels, Barnier said several issues needed to be dealt with, including the future of the border between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

"We are not there yet," he said.

More time is needed, he said, to agree an "overall accord." 

"We will use that time, calmly, with serious intent to find the overall deal in the coming weeks." 

Barnier's comments have more or less put paid to any prospect of a decisive breakthrough at this week's summit.

Since the Brexit discussions began over 18 months ago, this October's summit had been earmarked as the most likely date for any agreement given the need to get necessary parliamentary approvals before Britain officially leaves the EU next March.

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9:45 a.m.

Austria's European affairs minister says Brexit talks are making progress but that an imminent breakthrough appears unlikely.

A day ahead of a "moment of truth" EU summit, Gernot Bluemel said the "the dynamics in the negotiations are going in the right direction."

However, he said Tuesday that a compromise deal in time for this week's two-day summit was unlikely.

Bluemel's voice matters as his country holds the EU's rotating presidency.

Britain is set to leave the European Union in March, but a Brexit agreement must be sealed in coming weeks to leave enough time for relevant parliaments to ratify it.

The talks have got bogged down over how to make sure a physical border does not reappear between Northern Ireland in the U.K. and EU member state Ireland.

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.