UK and EU representatives say opening day of talks will mainly deal with timing and structure of separation talks

Brexit talks have begun in Brussels. The lead negotiators, David Davis and Michel Barnier, representing the UK and the European commission respectively, posed for the cameras before several hours of initial discussions.

Amid concerns that political uncertainty in Britain could delay meaningful negotiations, the two leaders stressed their opening day on Monday would mainly deal with the timing and structure of the divorce talks, which the EU insists cannot yet deal with issues of trade.

EU leaders fear that fragile state of Tories will lead to brutal Brexit Read more

“We must first tackle the uncertainties caused by Brexit: first for citizens but also for beneficiaries of EU policies and the impact on borders – in particular Ireland,” said Barnier. “I hope today we can identify priorities and the timetable that would allow me to report to the European council later this week that we had a constructive start.”

Davis, the UK’s Brexit secretary, struck a more upbeat tone, grinning for the cameras before insisting that recent terrorist attacks and fires in Europe showed how the continent could still come together in moments of crisis.

“It is at testing times like these that we are reminded of the values and resolve that we share with our closest allies in Europe,” said Davis. “There is more that unites us than divides us.”

“We are starting with a positive and constructive tone, determined to build a strong and special relationship,” he added.

Barnier and Davis, who last met briefly in November, appeared relaxed and were on first-name terms, but the two sides begin discussions poles apart on a host of contentious issues, particularly the size of any Brexit settlement and the compatibility of Britain’s trade ambitions with EU law on immigration.

The most important opportunity to develop some personal chemistry between Barnier and Davis is likely to come during a 15-minute one-on-one meeting around noon, before they are joined by a couple of officials each for a private lunch. Otherwise the plenary session will take place with up to a dozen advisers on each side.

How do citizens' rights affect Brexit negotiations? Read more

Davis, who flew in from London on Monday morning, is expected to leave Brussels shortly after the talks for another meeting in Europe, leaving little opportunity for engagement outside the formal context of the negotiations. But officials stress that the opening day is mainly to demonstrate that Brexit remains on track. “The most important thing is the fact that we are here,” said one Whitehall official.

Privately, the British team concedes it will largely have to acquiesce to EU demands for trade to be left off the agenda for now, although it stresses that no final deal can be reached before all aspects of the future relationship are also considered.

An opening session of talks, during which Davis and Barnier sat down together for the first time to formally negotiate terms of the UK’s withdrawal, started shortly after 11am local time (10am BST).

Barnier and Davis will scope out a timetable for the negotiations during a 90-minute session, before taking an early working lunch.

What is the Brexit timetable and how might it change? Read more

In the afternoon, officials from both sides will spend about two-and-a-half hours in working groups responding to any agreement from the two principal negotiators, and working up a detailed plan.

The most senior officials coordinating the negotiations, Sabine Weyand, who is the European commission’s deputy chief negotiator, and Olly Robbins, the permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the EU, will also meet in the afternoon.

A closing session between Barnier and Davis will start at 5.30pm, before they again emerge to brief the world’s media at a press conference in the European commission’s Berlaymont building.

Earlier, the British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said a Brexit deal could be sealed with “profit and honour” on both sides.

“Obviously this is the first day of the talks on Brexit and I think the most important thing is we should all start – of course there’ll be lots of discussions about the nature of the deal we are going to do – but I think we should also enter on the discussion about money and so forth,” he said.

“But I think the most important think about us now is for us to look to the horizon. Raise our eyes to the horizon. Think about the future. Think about the new partnership. The deep and special partnership that we want to build with our friends and I think in the long run this will be good for the UK and good for the rest of Europe. That’s we are hoping for.”

Brexit phrasebook: a guide to the talks' key terms Read more

Johnson, who has previously described the estimated bills emerging from Brussels as “absurd”, said: “I think the whole thing, the whole process, will lead to a happy resolution that I think can be done with profit and with honour for both side and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s coordinator on Brexit, welcomed the British decision not to contest the EU’s negotiating timetable, after Davis retreated from his earlier declaration that it would be “the row of the summer”.

“I am glad that we are sticking to the negotiating timetable, which is already quite tight,” Verhofstadt said. “Let’s now, first of all, make progress in the field of citizens’ rights and create legal certainty for both our people and our companies.”



Didier Reynders, Belgium’s foreign minister, welcomed the start of Brexit talks, but made clear EU leaders remained uncertain about the UK’s goals. “We are waiting for a clear British position,” he said.

</s>Brexit negotiations which could define the UK's political and economic future have begun, with David Davis calling for a "new deep and special partnership" between Britain and Brussels.

The Brexit Secretary acknowledged there would be "challenging times ahead" as he met the European Commission's chief negotiator Michel Barnier for the formal start of the talks.

He vowed to seek "a deal that works in the best interests of all citizens" with Mr Barnier as the pair began their discussions at the commission's Berlaymont headquarters in the Belgian capital.

Mr Barnier made clear that Brussels intends to stick to its timetable of dealing with the terms of Britain's "orderly" withdrawal before moving on to discussing future trade relations.

"Our objective is clear. We must first tackle the uncertainties caused by Brexit, first for citizens but also for the beneficiaries of EU policies and for the impact on borders, in particular Ireland," he said.

He said he hoped that during their single day of talks, he and Mr Davis would be able to identify priorities and a timetable, so that he can report back to leaders of the other 27 EU states at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday that there had been a "constructive opening of negotiations".

Mr Davis - who earlier said that he was hoping to negotiate a "deal like no other in history" - said the bonds between the UK and EU would continue after Brexit.

Monday morning's terror attack in London and the devastating fires in Portugal reminded him that "there is more that unites us than divides us".

He said: "It is at testing times like these that we are reminded of the values and the resolve that we share with our closest allies in Europe. There is more that unites us than divides us.

"While there will undoubtedly be challenging times ahead of us in the negotiations we will do all that we can to ensure that we deliver a deal that works in the best interests of all citizens."

The talks expected to stretch for around 16-18 months ahead of the UK's withdrawal from the EU in 2019.

Mr Barnier's insistence on sticking to the EU's priorities for the negotiations comes after Mr Davis appeared to soften his stance on the schedule for the talks.

Before the General Election, ministers had insisted that talks on a future trading relationship must take place in parallel with the negotiations on the divorce from Brussels, with Mr Davis warning in May that it would be the "row of the summer".

But a week ago Mr Davis said "we will start down this process but I will have some discussions with Mr Barnier about how we progress" to trade talks.

Officials have made clear that the Government still wants to negotiate its future trade relationship with the EU alongside talks on the terms for Brexit.

A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the European Union said: "We believe that the withdrawal process cannot be concluded without the future relationship also being taken into account."

The talks in Brussels consist of an opening session with both Mr Davis and Mr Barnier each joined by a large team of officials.

The Brexit Secretary and Mr Barnier will then have a short private meeting without any officials before a working dinner with just their key advisers.

Brexit department mandarin Olly Robbins and the UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, will join Mr Davis for the lunch session.

Working groups will discuss aspects of the negotiations in the afternoon before a final meeting between Mr Davis and Mr Barnier.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, in Luxembourg for a meeting with EU counterparts, said the process would lead to a "happy resolution that can be done with profit and with honour for both sides".

He said it was time to "raise our eyes to the horizon" adding that "in the long run, this will be good for the UK and good for the rest of Europe".</s>Philippe Lamberts insisted they could “backfire” on Brussels and would only “sour” the bloc’s relationship with the UK throughout the talks. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was heavily criticised after significant details emerged in the press from a private dinner meeting between him and Prime Minister Theresa May. Speaking following on from the public launch of the negotiations, Mr Lamberts, the co-chair of the Greens group in the European Parliament, also urged his European colleagues not to target Mrs May for her weakened position following her snap election shambles. Discussing the potential of Brussels leaks, the Belgian told BBC’s Newsnight: “It can also backfire in the sense that it can lead to a lot of posturing from many sides and that posturing may sour the atmosphere in a way that makes a deal more difficult.”

On the strength of the Prime Minister’s negotiating hand, Mr Lamberts added: “Theresa May has been dramatically weakened by the election, but I would advise to the EU 27 not to try and take too much advantage of that, again that may backfire.” It has been suggested the EU’s desire to hold transparent negotiations could harm Mrs May’s ability to keep her Tory minority government together because of the party’s differing views on Britain’s European divorce. The Prime Minister has already had to take a step backwards on her offer of a clean break from the bloc's single market and customs union, with Chancellor Philip Hammond demanding she now negotiates a Brexit which puts the economy first. Sophie in ’t Veld, the deputy of EU Parliament negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, said the leaks can be viewed as one possible way of preventing Mrs May from getting out her desired Brexit messages amid party tensions.

She added: “The UK and the EU are not adversaries, we’re not negotiating against each other. There has to be a win-win outcome, so there cannot be different messages. “I do think transparency is going to help create the trust that we need, both in the UK and the other EU countries, for people to support the process.” Mr Lamberts and Ms in ’t Veld’s support for the negotiations come after a former EU commissioner said there is a “serious chance” Britain will not leave the EU. Karel de Gucht, the European commissioner for trade between 2010 and 2014, doubted the UK’s ability to get a good deal, and the bloc are forming contingency plans for Brexit talks failing.

Mr de Gucht said: “They are realising that these will be difficult negotiations which will not necessarily reach a conclusion. “At this moment the European Commission is not only prepared for these negotiations but also is doing some contingency planning for what to do if the entire negotiations collapse.” Brexit Secretary David Davis said he fully intends to emerge from the talks with a “deal like no other in history”.</s>The talks on the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union are finally getting under way in Brussels.

Here are the key questions surrounding the Brexit negotiations.

:: Who is sitting round the table?

The UK side is led by Brexit Secretary David Davis, the committed Leaver who is spearheading the British negotiating effort. On the opposite side is Michel Barnier, the French former foreign minister who is the European Commission's chief negotiator. They will each be accompanied by a team of senior officials.

:: What will they be discussing?

Both sides agree a top priority is sorting out the rights of the 3.2 million EU nationals living in the UK and the 1.2 million British expats in the EU. Both say they want a reciprocal agreement although the Europeans say the British side does not appear to appreciate just what that involves.

Other issues that have to be sorted include the status of the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

And then there is the "divorce bill". The EU side has been suggesting it will be looking for a settlement of around £50 billion in respect of the UK's outstanding liabilities. British ministers insist the final sum will not be anything like that. Expect plenty of wrangling to come.

:: Is Britain also looking for a free trade deal?

It certainly is. Mr Davis has said that while the UK is pulling out of the single market and the customs union and ending the free movement of labour, he wants an agreement that replicates as far as possible Britain's existing trade arrangements with the EU.

:: Will he get it?

Europe's key power brokers like Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron are adamant Britain cannot expect to enjoy all the benefits of EU membership from outside the bloc. Mr Barnier has said talks on a trade deal cannot even start until sufficient progress has been made on the other issues. It could be a bumpy ride ahead.

:: How often will the two sides be meeting?

It is expected talks will take place once a month in Brussels as they work through the issues to be resolved.

:: How long have they got to sort this out?

Britain is due to leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (11pm in the UK) on March 29 2019 - unless an extension is agreed by all 27 remaining member states. - with or without an agreement. In practice that is likely to mean the negotiations will need to be wrapped up by the autumn of 2018 in order to allow time for the deal to be ratified.

The European Court of Justice is expected to rule on whether a deal must be approved by the parliaments of the individual member states, Theresa May has promised MPs at Westminster a vote, and finally there will be a vote of the European Parliament. It could be quite a tall order.</s>Brussels, June 19 - Brexit talks between EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and British Brexit Secretary David Davis began Monday. "Today we kick off negotiations for an orderly withdrawal of Britain from the EU," said Barnier. "We must face the uncertainties caused by Brexit, for citizens, for the beneficiaries of European policies" and for border issues, "especially Irish ones". Barnier said he hopes there would be a "constructive" opening to the talks, which will lead to the UK's exit in March 2019.</s>Stefan Auer from the University of Hong Kong told CNBC that Theresa May’s setback in the General Election may have weakened the UK’s position but that did not give the EU an extra edge as negotiations start. The prof said: “Official negations are starting and the British position seems to be weakened. “The UK has had a terrible two weeks, two months, whatever you want to say, but we shouldn’t forget that the EU still faces significant problems. “Over the next two years, I believe it will be much harder for the EU to maintain a unified position than whatever government the UK will get.

“So the elections were terrible for Theresa May, but I don’t think that the fundamental dynamics of the Brexit negotiations is going to change because of that.” Prof Auer argued there are serious divisions within the European Union and member states would soon rediscover their differences. He said: “There are serious divisions in Europe on key questions of migration, economic policies, divisions between new members states of the EU who oppose migration. “There are decisions over the strategy to solve the eurozone crisis, but all these divisions now are being overshadowed by the fact that we have had quite a few positive developments. “Victory of [Emmanuel] Macron seems to promise the possibility of the Franco-German engine to be started, but this is way before any serious negotiation about the future of the EU has started.

“I think the divides between France and Germany will remain on key questions of economic policies.” David Davis arrived in Brussels on Monday to start the official Brexit talks with the EU. After welcoming Mr Davis with warm words, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, said: “Today we are launching the negotiations on the orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. “Our objective is clear, we must first tackle the uncertainties caused by Brexit. First for citizens, but also for the beneficiaries of the EU policies and for the impact on borders, in particular, Ireland. “I hope that today we can identify priorities and a timetable that would allow me to report to the European Council later this week that we had a constructive opening of negotiations.”

To which Mr David responded: “Thank you very much for that kind introduction. I’m here in Brussels today like Michel to begin the next phase of our work to build a new deep and special partnership with the EU. “It’s at testing times like these that we’re reminded of the values and resolve that we share with our closest allies in Europe. “There’s more that unites us than divides us, so while there will undoubtedly be challenging times ahead of us in the negotiations we’ll do all we can to ensure we deliver a deal that works in the best interests of all citizens. “To that end we’re starting these negotiations in a positive and constructive tone determined to build a strong and special partnership between ourselves and our European allies for the future.”</s>Negotiations over the U.K.'s exit from the European Union are now underway in Brussels on Monday. The U.K.'s Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, shook hands in front of photographers to mark the beginning of talks nearly one year after the U.K.'s Brexit referendum. Davis is aiming to create a "strong and special partnership" with the EU, according to a BBC report. Britain will exit the EU's single market and customs union, said U.K. Treasury chief Philip Hammond on Sunday. But no Brexit deal for the U.K. would be a "very, very bad outcome," Hammond said on BBC1's "The Andrew Marr Show" show. The pound was trading at $1.2805 on Monday, still sharply lower from around $1.50 when voting in the U.K.'s referendum on June 23, 2016, was taking place.</s>The UK will begin historic talks to leave the European Union on Monday (19 June), one year after voters opted to quit the bloc in a referendum.

Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, and their teams will start their meeting in Brussels at 11AM and will end the day with a press conference.

The talks begin amid uncertainty on the UK government’s intentions after British voters appeared to reject its so-called hard Brexit manifesto in a snap election on 8 June, when the ruling Conservative Party lost its majority in parliament.

Davis is to say on Monday that Britain wants “both sides to emerge strong and prosperous,” according to a statement by the UK's department for exiting the EU.

At stake is how to untangle over 44 years of a complex relationship that is enshrined in thousands of pages of legal texts.

It will need to be resolved in less than two years, with the UK to exit the EU on March 2019 whether there is a deal or not, unless the 27 other member states decide to extend negotiations.

The talks begin as British prime minister Theresa May holds talks with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), whose support she now needs to form a minority government.

French president Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble have said the EU door “remains open” if the UK changed its mind on Brexit.

But the British government has ruled this out.

"Despite European leaders’ attempts to leave open the possibility of the UK remaining in the EU, Mr Davis will make it clear that he is determined to achieve a Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK,” the British statement said.

It said Davis entered the talks "confident that he can get a positive outcome and secure a new deep and special partnership with the EU” as well as a “bold and ambitious deal”.

One year on from the Brexit referendum, the EU has put together a negotiating team and has published its position on the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU.

It has also spoken out on what Britain’s financial settlement with the EU ought to entail.

The process has created rare unity among the 27 remaining member states, whose leaders will be briefed by May at an EU summit at the end of the week.

Meanwhile, the UK’s position on what sort of future relationship it wants with the EU is still unclear.

Officials and diplomats in Brussels have voiced concern on the lack of preparation on the British side.

"It seems they still have not realised what this is all about," a senior EU member state diplomat recently told EUobserver.

May’s letter triggering the so called Article 50 exit procedure is still the most detailed document on the UK’s intention.

It highlights deep divisions between the UK and the EU’s approach to talks, especially on the sequencing of the negotiations, with the UK wanting to sort out the financial settlement in parallel with an agreement on future relations.

May has advocated a hard Brexit, leaving both the single market and the customs union.

There seems to have been no significant change in that approach since the election, but analysts have suggested that part of the reason for May’s failure was opposition to a hard Brexit.

The UK’s finance minister Philip Hammond, seen as an advocate for a softer Brexit with keeping the UK in the customs union, told the BBC on Sunday that Britain’s hard line stays.

"We will leave the customs union when we leave the European Union. That's a statement of legal fact," he said.

Hammond also said that leaving the UK without a deal would be “a very, very bad outcome” despite May previously saying that no deal is better than a bad deal. Hammond added however that a deal designed to punish the UK would be unacceptable.</s>A WELL prepared and experienced European Union (EU) team begins Brexit negotiations today with a British government that is in crisis.

David Davis, Brexit Secretary, is now the key Conservative politician to proceed with the United Kingdom's strategy and desired terms. In</s>Formal negotiations on the terms of Brexit finally begin tomorrow, some 361 days after last year's EU referendum.

It is also 82 days after Theresa May sent a letter formally notifying the European Council of Britain's intention to withdraw.

What is the timeline from now on?

Issues on the table will include the status of EU citizens in the UK and of British people living in continental Europe, as well as the Northern Irish border and the size of any "divorce bill" - estimated at anything up to 100 billion euro (£88 billion).

The EU insists that phase one of talks will focus only on the terms of withdrawal, and not on a future trade relationship.

- June 21 - The Queen's Speech sets out details of extensive UK Government legislation required to put Brexit into effect, expected to include a Great Repeal Bill bringing EU laws and regulations onto the British statute book, as well as bills on issues including immigration and customs.

- June 22 - Mr Barnier reports back to the leaders of the EU27, who are expected to endorse a process for relocation of EU agencies currently based in the UK.

The meeting comes ahead of a two-day summit of the European Council on June 22 and 23, attended by all 28 leaders including Theresa May, which is due to focus on migration and security.

- Summer - Negotiations on the Brexit deal expected to continue in Brussels, with the Davis and Barnier teams meeting for one week in each month, before returning to base to report back and develop their positions.

- September 24 - German federal elections could see Angela Merkel replaced as Chancellor by former European Parliament president and staunch federalist Martin Schulz, who once called for the creation of a ''genuine European government''.

- October 19 - Mr Barnier is set to report back to the EU27 on whether sufficient progress has been made to move on to phase two of the talks, covering the UK's future trade relationship with the remaining EU. The Prime Minister will attend a two-day European Council summit in Brussels.

- Winter/spring 2017/18 - If talks are proceeding to plan, negotiators can be expected to be meeting regularly to iron out remaining issues and identify the points of difference to be settled by political leaders at the highest level.

They are likely to be discussing the possibility of a transition period following Brexitduring which new trade arrangements can be finalised and phased in, in order to prevent a "cliff-edge" move to the new model.

- May 2018 - English local government elections will provide the Prime Minister with her first widespread electoral test since the disastrous snap election of June 8, 2017.

- October 2018 - Mr Barnier hopes to be able to conclude withdrawal negotiations around this point, in order to allow time for them to be ratified before the end of the two-year Article 50 deadline.

- Winter/spring 2018/19 - The European Court of Justice could be asked to rule on whether the deal requires approval by each EU state. If so, it could have to be ratified by up to 38 national and regional parliaments, with any of them effectively holding a veto.

Mrs May has promised MPs a "take it or leave it" vote on whether to accept the deal or take Britain out of the EU without agreement and fall back on World Trade Organisation rules.

The Westminster vote will take place before the European Parliament debates and votes on the deal, effectively giving MEPs the final say on whether it will go ahead.

- March 29 2019: Two years after the invocation of Article 50, the UK ceases to be a member of the EU and is no longer subject to its treaties, whether or not a withdrawal agreement has been reached.

Because the exact moment of exit is midnight Brussels time, the UK is due to leave at 11pm on March 29.

This date can be extended by agreement between all member states. It is not yet clear whether the exit clock can be stopped by the UK withdrawing its Article 50 notification.

The EU insists that a trade deal can only formally be adopted after withdrawal, though the UK hopes this will happen very swiftly, with necessary negotiations completed beforeBrexit day.

If no trade deal has been reached by this point, UK-EU relations could be governed by a ''transitional arrangement'' for some months or years. Even if a trade agreement has been sealed, it could be introduced gradually during an ''implementation phase'' afterBrexit.

- June 2019: European Parliament elections will take place without the UK.
Brexit negotiations begin in Brussels.