Brussels
Britain and Europe will have to agree a draft text next week if they are to sign an accord to avoid a chaotic no-deal divorce or another Brexit delay before this month´s deadline, diplomats warn.
European officials insist the deadline of next Friday is not an ultimatum to Prime Minister Boris Johnson´s government but a simple fact of Brussels’ diplomatic calendar. British and EU negotiators will need a jointly-agreed legal text by then to show to EU capitals ahead of the October 17-18 European Council summit.