UK, EU clash over who takes next Brexit step

The EU and UK clashed yesterday after British Prime Minister Theresa May said the ball was in the EU's court as Brexit negotiations entered a critical fifth round.

Officials from both sides are meeting in Brussels, but chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier and British counterpart David Davis are not attending the start, underscoring low expectations for the talks.

This round of divorce discussions is the last before European leaders meet at a summit on October 19 to decide whether there is "sufficient progress" to move on to the trade talks that Britain desperately wants.

The European Commission roundly rejected May's assertion that it was up to the EU 27 to take the initiative to advance the stalled talks, amid fears that her domestic political woes were threatening the negotiations.

"This is not exactly a ball game... but what I can remind you of is there is a clear sequencing to these talks and there has been so far no solution found on step one, which is the divorce proceedings," the commission's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a press conference.

"So the ball is entirely in the UK court for the rest to happen," he added.

Even before the commission's latest intervention, the prognosis for the talks was grim, with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker having warned that "miracles" would be needed this week to make enough progress to get a positive decision at the summit.

Brussels is particularly alarmed by the leadership crisis engulfing the British prime minister, facing a plot to oust her after a catastrophic, mishap-strewn speech at her Conservative party's conference.

The embattled May was set to tell the British parliament yesterday that she expects "leadership and flexibility" from the other 27 EU countries in the negotiations.