Brexit: yielding step by step to ‘sufficient progress’… for now

The Elcano Royal Institute is a think-tank for international and strategic studies that analyses world events and trends from a Spanish, European and global perspective.

The Elcano Royal Institute's Expert Comments are 1,000- to 1,500 word pieces produced by the Elcano Royal Institute's analysts as an immediate response to international events relevant to Spain.
Mission accomplished. Or so it seemed. The recent European Council of 15 December 2017 finally approved the recommendation of the Commission to proceed to the second phase of the negotiations between the UK and the EU. The well-known goal of ‘sufficient progress’ has finally confronted the three key issues at stake: the rights of citizens (EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in the EU), the financial obligations of the British (something which is erroneously known as the Brexit bill) and the solution to the vexing issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland (a concern around which positions have hardened in recent times). The good news, however, is that such an agreement has been reached. The bad news is that what remains to be done is as difficult as that which has been achieved (and more), and this does not bode well. To have reached an agreement on the issues mentioned only implies that now progress must be made on other questions.

The Saga of Brexit Politics in 2018 http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-saga-of-brexit-politics-in-2018/

---