Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Anti-Brexit demonstrators gathered outside the Parliament, waving EU and UK flags, on July 23, 2018. Photo: Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The latest round of Brexit negotiations kicked off today in Brussels, with just two months to go before October's EU Summit — widely seen as one of the last feasible dates to secure a withdrawal treaty.
Why it matters: Consensus has been reached on about 85% of the deal, per the NYTimes' Steven Erlanger, but several of the most contentious issues, including the Irish border dilemma and the U.K.'s customs and trade relationship with the EU, have yet to be resolved.
What to watch:
- The original idea for an Irish "backstop," which would allow Northern Ireland to remain in the EU's shared "customs union" and "single market," was rejected by the U.K. in July. Thursday's negotiations will focus on finding an alternative solution to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- Friday's talks will seek to clarify the nature of the future trade relationship between the EU and the U.K., after Prime Minister Theresa May's "Chequers proposal" to remain in the EU's single market for goods, but not services, was also rejected.
- In response to the stifling of the Chequers plan, Britain's new Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has embarked on a tour of European capitals, lobbying the EU for "a change in approach" and warning of the severe market impact of a "no deal" Brexit.
- The EU's Brexit negotiators reportedly fear that the British secret service has bugged their devices, according to The Telegraph. Regardless of whether that's true, the accusations themselves are a grim indication of the tensions between the negotiating parties.
Go deeper: The U.K. is changing its mind on Brexit.