As the Brexit negotiations enter a decisive stage the EU is not home and dry

Although the Withdrawal Agreement largely reflects the EU’s preferences, and, because “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”, the EU faces three key challenges in the months ahead to ensure that the negotiations make it to the home stretch: avoiding a no deal, managing the ticking negotiation clock and ensuring unity. Nine months into the negotiation process and considering what has been achieved, the leaders of the EU27 may indulge in a sigh of relief as the March European Council meeting draws to a close. However, as the Brexit negotiations enter another crucial phase, the EU’s Brexit success is dependent on avoiding a no-deal scenario, retaining a unified voice and ensuring that the Withdrawal Agreement makes it to the home stretch.