Britain shares plans with EU to break Brexit deal deadlock

The UK said it has shared with the EU a "series of confidential technical non-papers" which reflect its Brexit ideas, adding it will submit formal written solutions "when we are ready" rather than meeting an "artificial deadline".

A UK Government spokeswoman said: "We have been having detailed discussions with the commission's taskforce 50 in recent weeks.

"We have now shared in written form a series of confidential technical non-papers which reflect the ideas the UK has been putting forward.

"We will table formal written solutions when we are ready, not according to an artificial deadline, and when the EU is clear that it will engage constructively on them as a replacement for the backstop."

The European Commission said it has received "documents" from the UK Government on its Brexit proposals.

A spokeswoman said: "With regards to written proposals, I can confirm that we have received documents from the UK and, on this basis, we will have technical discussions today and tomorrow on some aspects of customs, manufactured goods and sanitary and phytosanitary rules.

"Then the discussion will also take place at political level because Michel Barnier, the commission's chief negotiator, will meet Steve Barclay on Friday."

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