EU's Barnier says progress in Brexit talks, but divergences remain on Ireland

Thomson Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Talks between Britain and the European Commission on the country's EU exit have made progress in some issues but they still disagree on how to tackle the Irish border, the bloc's chief Brexit negotiator said on Tuesday.

"We have advanced on some separation issues for which European businesses need certainty, such as customs, VAT, Euratom and certificates for goods," Michel Barnier said in a joint statement with the UK.

"Serious divergences" remained however, on the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland," for which "a fully operational backstop solution" was required.

He said more work needed to be done before October.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by John Stonestreet)

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