LONDON (Financial Times) - Britain has for the first time explicitly acknowledged it has financial obligations to the EU after Brexit, a move that is likely to avert a full-scale clash over the exit bill in talks next week.
In a written statement to parliament touching on a "financial settlement”, the government recognized on Thursday "that the UK has obligations to the EU?.?.?.?that will survive the UK’s withdrawal — and that these need to be resolved”.
The text, released by Joyce Anelay, a Brexit minister, was immediately seen by Brussels as a potentially important development. EU diplomats say the wording "goes further” than Prime Minister Theresa May’s previous reference to Britain being willing to reach a "fair settlement” of unspecified obligations.
As negotiators prepared for a round of talks on Monday, Britain’s exit liabilities — estimated by the EU to stand at up to €100bn gross — were proving one of the biggest flashpoints. With Britain’s exit set for March 2019, negotiators on both sides feared a protracted stand-off over money would waste valuable time and delay the point at which the EU decides "sufficient progress” has been made to start trade talks.