Brexit: EU not to open renegotiations on deal

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal </p> <p>LONDON (AA) – The EU will not reopen a deal with the U.K. but it is open to add wording to the agreement that will shape ties between the Britain and the EU, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday.</p> <p>Juncker’s comments came during a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Brussels as she visited the city to review next steps in the Brexit process.</p> <p>The spirit of the talks were in an atmosphere of working to meet shared challenges of EU and the U.K. to uphold open trade, fighting climate change, terrorism and the rules-based international system, according to a joint statement following the meeting.</p> <p>May conveyed the reason for the vote last week in the House of Commons to seek a legal change to the agreement and she raised “various options for dealing with these concerns,” it said.</p> <p>Juncker said the deal “represents a carefully balanced compromise between the EU and the U.K.,” however, “expressed his openness to add wording to the Political Declaration agreed by the EU27 and the U.K. in order to be more ambitious in terms of content and speed when it comes to the future relationship between the EU and the U.K.”</p> <p>The discussions were “robust but constructive,” and the pair agreed further discussion are necessary to see if a way can be found “that would gain the broadest possible support in the U.K. Parliament and respect the guidelines agreed by the European Council.”</p> <p>&quot;May and Juncker will meet again before the end of the month,&quot; the statement added.</p> <p>May has 50 days before the the Brexit date of March 29 to secure a deal which will need ratification from all EU members and the House of Commons.</p> <p>Fifty-two percent of British voters opted for an exit of the EU in 2016 after more than 40 years of membership to the bloc.