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Brussels officials said they would need to debate the terms of any further extension, but they are already discussing the possibility that Mr Johnson, UK prime minister, will fail in his pledge to quit the EU on October 31, no “ifs or buts”, thereby requiring more time beyond the deadline granted in April.
Brussels was on Wednesday also stepping up its preparation for a no-deal departure by the UK next month, as the Commission issued a “final call” to businesses to prepare. It issued proposals to set aside up to €780m of emergency funding to help deal with the potential economic and commercial fallout.
“There is absolutely no appetite in the EU to throw Britain off the Brexit cliff edge,” said one EU diplomat. “If the UK parliament were to ask for an extension to prevent a no-deal outcome, it would be hard to see how the EU27 could refuse that.”
Diplomats said that, despite the bloc’s willingness in principle to consider an extension, France and others were likely to be tough on the details, wanting clear explanations from Britain as to how more time could lead to a positive outcome, and legal guarantees that the UK government would not disrupt EU business. [...]
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