In limbo

Brexit talks have slowed in advance of elections across Europe. What should companies do while they wait for negotiations to conclude?

Vandana Chatlani reports

Last month, former European Council president Herman Van Rompuy told the BBC that negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union would take a back seat for at least a year until Germany’s new government was formed after elections next September. “You can always start with more technical matters, but the hardcore … difficult topics, will be tackled after the constitution of a new German government and that will be October/November [2017],” he said. Van Rompuy has referred to Britain’s exit from the EU as a “political amputation of the first degree”, saying that the image of a “strong Europe” had “tarnished a lot after Brexit”.

European powers remain nervous following the United Kingdom’s vote to end its membership of the EU in a referendum on 23 June. Many have voiced concerns that the UK’s exit could inspire other EU members to follow suit. European Council President Donald Tusk urged EU member states to introspect during their meeting in Bratislava without the UK to discuss the road ahead.