David Davis has damaged trust in UK, says Verhofstadt

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1. EU readies 'David Davis-proof' Brexit summit

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-davis/eu-readies-david-davis-proof-brexit-summit-idUKKBN1E62I9

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union plays down talk by Britain’s Brexit minister that last week’s interim accord is not binding and will launch new talks on Friday that are “David Davis-proof”, a senior EU official said.

The comment on Tuesday followed Brexit Secretary Davis’s weekend remark that outline divorce terms were more a “statement of intent” than legally binding. The EU official told reporters that EU leaders meeting on Friday will ram home in guidelines to their negotiator that Britain must honour its agreements so far if it wants to discuss the future free trade treaty it wants.

Davis himself pledged to convert last Friday’s deal into “legal text” as soon as possible after he spoke to the European Parliament’s Brexit point man. Guy Verhofstadt branded Davis’s earlier comment “unhelpful” and said that what the EU executive calls a gentleman’s agreement must be made legal.

Adding to the debate over how far London is bound by May’s deal, Barnier insisted there should be “no backtracking” if London is to have the trade negotiations it so much wants.