Britain's Brexit papers aim to fast-track customs talks

“The UK government knows that some of the member-states are worried about the commission’s position that transition arrangements cannot be discussed until ‘sufficient progress’ has been made on divorce arrangements and agreeing the final relationship,” said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform. “They are hoping the Nordics in particular will put pressure on Barnier to acknowledge quickly that sufficient progress has been made on those areas.”However, Mr Grant added that “Britain should not expect other member states to put pressure on Mr Barnier to begin discussion of those issues until the UK has caved in on some of the Article 50 divorce issues.”