Begg said the European Council, the administrative arm of the EU, had mandated Barnier on three key separation issues -- the Irish border, citizens' rights, and the divorce settlement.
With talks with the European Council due in October, the timetable is becoming tight, said Begg.
"The payment is something I have long believed would be a sticking point," he said. "There is the amount Britain must pay, with some putting the figure at 100 billion euros (120 billion U.S. dollars), while there has been some indications in Britain it could be between 30 to 40 billion euros, so there is a big gap to bridge."
"I would have put the amount at around 40 billion euros," said Begg.
In 2013, Britain signed the EU's seven-year framework, and a case has been put forward that Britain remains legally committed to that, explained Begg.
The question is whether Britain feels it can bale out before the end of that seven-year period.
"The view has been taken that whether Britain likes it or not, it is a binding commitment," he said. "Ultimately, it will be a political decision."
"On the other side is the great difficulty for Europe if Britain does not fulfill its commitment to the framework," he said.
"For example, it could mean money promised to Poland under the framework would not be forthcoming if Britain didn't pay, or alternatively Germany may have to pay more to make up for the loss of British money. A face saving way around this would be for the framework to be played out until 2020."
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