May heads for Brussels after Brexit talks deadlock

London/Brussels (Reuters): Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Brussels on Monday for talks over dinner with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker after deadlock in Brexit appeared to dash her hopes a summit this week could launch negotiations on future trade ties.

May’s office said the meeting was long planned but gave no details. A dinner was not on Juncker’s agenda published on Friday, however, and EU officials said it had also not been on the schedule for Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who will be at the dinner along with his British counterpart, David Davis.

After talks with Davis last week, Barnier said negotiations were deadlocked, notably over London’s refusal to detail what it was offering to pay Brussels. This followed an attempt by May last month to revive talks by promising Britain would honour its EU commitments.

As a result, Barnier told European Union leaders not to launch the talks on a future relationship that May has demanded. As time ticks down to withdrawal in March 2019, concern is rising across Europe that the process may collapse.