When EU leaders last met in April to discuss the current extension, the 27 were divided between majority who favoured a long delay to avoid a no-deal and a smaller group, led by French president Emmanuel Macron, who pushed instead for a short extension to force the UK into choosing between the agreement negotiated by Theresa May and leaving the bloc without a deal.



Although preventing Britain from crashing out of the EU remains high on Berlin’s list of priorities, the mood in the German capital and elsewhere in Europe has hardened in recent months. “We will never say we are bored with tedious Brexit,” a German diplomat said, adding, however, that the last six months had not brought as much clarity as hoped. “We will not say: ‘more time will solve it’.”

Johnson has privately assured his European counterparts that he will present concrete proposals ahead of the EU council meeting in Brussels on Oct. 17. But the bloc’s leaders are still waiting to see these.

The UK has so far shared four documents with the EU, covering food and agriculture as well as sanitary and phytosanitary measures (known as SPS), customs, and manufactured goods. The papers set out Britain’s initial thinking on how to get around the issue of the so-called backstop, the insurance policy included in the withdrawal agreement that guarantees that the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland remains open after Brexit in all circumstances and scenarios, while also protecting the integrity of the EU’s single market.

EU officials have described the documents as “concepts” that are “not detailed”. The UK has labelled the papers “HMG property,” and asked for them not to be forwarded on to member states.

A German diplomat told BuzzFeed News that their understanding was that the proposals were “incomplete”.

The diplomat said: “They are a start, but nowhere near where you can see the structure of an agreement that replicates the tasks of the backstop and is legally operative from day one.”

A government official said they expected Johnson to send something more thorough after the Conservative party conference ends on Wednesday and as close to next month’s summit as he can get away with. However, the same official warned that member states would need time to analyse and — most probably — work further on any proposals.

The discussion over delaying Brexit will ultimately be a political decision for the 27 leaders alone. Until the full extent of Britain's position is completely clear, the debate on the terms of the UK's extension is somewhat of an academic question. "Keeping the 27 together and united will be the number one priority," the official said.

The UK effectively has about 10 days to unlock the stalemate. At a briefing to the ambassadors of the EU’s 27 member states on Thursday, diplomats were told by senior EU officials that there would be no all-night negotiations on a legal text month’s summit, quashing a belief that has long circulated in parts of the UK press of a last-minute deal.