brexit. The decisive week

With less than three weeks to go until the European Union prepares to shrink for the first time in its history, the bloc’s governments are debating the next wave of expansion. While they had little trouble holding a united front on the terms of Britain’s departure, member states are split over the conditions that should be attached to any new admissions. Divisions will be laid bare in Luxembourg today, where ministers are due to decide whether to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. With France digging in its heels against the immediate start of formal enlargement talks, the best the two Balkan nations can expect is a fudge — if that.

— Nikos Chrysoloras

Brexit Endgame | European affairs ministers also discuss Brexit in Luxembourg this morning with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, but their meeting is likely to come too early to allow a final assessment of a potential deal before this week’s summit. Negotiations in Brussels will continue throughout the day as the two sides try to agree on how far Northern Ireland will be detached from the EU’s customs union, though the Finnish presidency of the EU has conceded that an agreement may not be possible this week.

Summit Prep | Ministers will also sign off on the communique for this week’s summit, in which leaders will commit to “lead the way in a socially fair green transition” as a response to the “existential threat posed by climate change,” according to the draft we’ve seen. You’ll have to wait until December though for concrete commitments — such as moving to zero emissions.