国际英语资讯:Spotlight: EU signals to take tough stance in Brexit talks_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: EU signals to take tough stance in Brexit talks

BRUSSELS, April 28 -- The European Union (EU) has signalled it will take a tough stance in the upcoming Brexit negotiations with the UK.

Guidelines setting out the EU's formal negotiating position are expected to be agreed at a special summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, a senior EU source indicated that Brussels will "play hard ball" in the talks, reaffirming the bloc's insistence that the so-called "divorce bill" with the UK must be agreed before further Brexit-related discussions are held.

The source, speaking on Friday, also made it clear that the two EU agencies currently based in the UK must be relocated to another member state.

A "no-deal scenario" where the UK would formally exit the EU without reaching an agreement "would be in no-one's interest" but still cannot be ruled out, conceded the official.

He also said that in the upcoming talks between the EU and UK "flexibility and imagination" would be required to prevent the return of a hard customs border in Ireland.

The official expressed confidence that the EU and each of its remaining 27 members were "totally united" when it comes to their stance on Brexit.

This is likely to be reinforced at Saturday's summit which is expected to formally adopt the negotiating guidelines, details of which were sent to EU capitals a month ago.

The summit in Brussels was called solely to discuss Britain's departure from the bloc and will serve as a stage for the governments the UK is leaving behind to talk up unity and warn British officials against sowing division in the hope of securing a better exit deal.