EU diplomats are accelerating plans for managing the potential chaos of a no-deal Brexit amid fears that the summits planned for October and November to hammer out and endorse an agreement with Britain could be fruitless and negotiations could run on into next year.

Over breakfast on Wednesday, Martin Selmayr, the EU’s top civil servant, briefed ambassadors from the 27 other EU countries on back-up plans to keep planes flying and essential supplies moving if Brexit talks — which are deadlocked over the Irish border question — fail.

The briefing sketched out how member states could trigger a legislative blitz, granting the European Commission special powers “within five days”.

Brussels would then co-ordinate an emergency effort to keep essential trade and travel moving fluidly and