EU leaders could meet later in month on Brexit

Oct. 15 (UPI) -- European Union leaders could meet again later this month on Brexit if negotiations between Britain and the bloc have not reached an agreement but continue to make progress, the EU Brexit negotiator said Tuesday.

Michel Barnier said Tuesday morning that a new withdrawal deal between the EU and Britain was "still possible this week" if Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit negotiators reached an agreement on legal text by the end of the day.

Barnier added, though, that he would recommend continued negotiations if he did not receive the information, lasting beyond this weeks EU summit that starts Thursday.

Barnier gave Johnson until midnight to agree to a customs border in the Irish Sea. Former British Prime Minister Theresa May had rejected a customs border arrangement earlier as part of her withdrawal deal.

May and the EU settled on the controversial Irish backstop, which would force Northern Ireland, which is part of Britain, to remain in the EU to avoid a hard border between the region and the Republic of Ireland.

"If we have an agreement tonight it will be possible to go to the [European] council and then again to the British Parliament," Belgium Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders, said. "But it's not easy, we have some red lines, they are well known by all the partners. I'm hoping it will be possible today to make some progress."