European leaders have invited British Prime Minister Theresa May to address them before they discuss Brexit at a working dinner on the eve of their October 18 summit.
Brussels had portrayed the summit as the "moment of truth" for the protracted divorce negotiations, but officials said Wednesday that Brexit talks had been brought forward.
The 27 other leaders will instead discuss Brexit over dinner on October 17, without May, leaving the summit day itself clear for the rest of the EU agenda.
May has not yet responded to an invitation to address the leaders before their dinner, and will in any case have to leave before they discuss their response, officials said.
Donald Tusk, president of the council of EU leaders, had described the October 18 get-together as the next jokey rendez-vous in the bloc's divorce negotiations.
All 28 leaders, including May, are due at the Thursday summit, but the 27 others will now use their dinner the night before to "review the state of negotiations".
Announcing the updated schedule, Tusk's office recalled his statement at last month's informal summit in Salzburg where EU leaders rejected May's Brexit plan.
"In October we expect maximum progress and results in the Brexit talks," Tusk had said. "Then we will decide whether conditions are there to call an extraordinary summit in November to finalise and formalise the deal."
Some member states, led by France, have pushed back against talk of a November fall-back, insisting that negotiations must make progress before the October meeting.
But a diplomatic source told AFP that, by moving the Brexit talks up, the leaders had given themselves room to thrash out the issue without clouding the main summit or delaying a Friday meeting with Asian dignitaries.
"It's an agenda question. Thursday's programme is too busy," the diplomat said.
"If the 27 talk a day before, with May possibly making an intervention, we leave an opening to talk through the night if necessary, which wouldn't work on Thursday."
Earlier Wednesday, May -- who left Salzburg in a fury after Tusk warned her bluntly that her Brexit plan "will not work" -- attempted to rally her own British party.
European leaders have invited British Prime Minister Theresa May to address them before they discuss Brexit at a working dinner on the eve of their October 18 summit.
Brussels had portrayed the summit as the “moment of truth” for the protracted divorce negotiations, but officials said Wednesday that Brexit talks had been brought forward.
The 27 other leaders will instead discuss Brexit over dinner on October 17, without May, leaving the summit day itself clear for the rest of the EU agenda.
May has not yet responded to an invitation to address the leaders before their dinner, and will in any case have to leave before they discuss their response, officials said.
Donald Tusk, president of the council of EU leaders, had described the October 18 get-together as the next jokey rendez-vous in the bloc’s divorce negotiations.
All 28 leaders, including May, are due at the Thursday summit, but the 27 others will now use their dinner the night before to “review the state of negotiations”.
Announcing the updated schedule, Tusk’s office recalled his statement at last month’s informal summit in Salzburg where EU leaders rejected May’s Brexit plan.
“In October we expect maximum progress and results in the Brexit talks,” Tusk had said. “Then we will decide whether conditions are there to call an extraordinary summit in November to finalise and formalise the deal.”
Some member states, led by France, have pushed back against talk of a November fall-back, insisting that negotiations must make progress before the October meeting.
But a diplomatic source told AFP that, by moving the Brexit talks up, the leaders had given themselves room to thrash out the issue without clouding the main summit or delaying a Friday meeting with Asian dignitaries.
“It’s an agenda question. Thursday’s programme is too busy,” the diplomat said.
“If the 27 talk a day before, with May possibly making an intervention, we leave an opening to talk through the night if necessary, which wouldn’t work on Thursday.”
Earlier Wednesday, May — who left Salzburg in a fury after Tusk warned her bluntly that her Brexit plan “will not work” — attempted to rally her own British party.
