An EU flag is seen outside the the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain on March 29, 2017. (Xinhua file photo/Tim Ireland)
The European Union (EU) on Monday urged Britain to take a more serious stance and quickly provide official positions on all Brexit issues as the latter called for more "flexibility and imagination" on both sides in the third round talks.
EU officials said last week there were no plans to extend the negotiations beyond the March 2019 deadline despite a clear lack of progress on crucial issues so far.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart, David Davis, are scheduled to hold a news conference at the end of this round on Thursday.
The talks will focus once again on Britain's financial settlement, the so-called Brexit bill, citizen rights and Northern Ireland's border.
Unlike in the first two rounds, when the British delegation failed to get into the details of the financial obligations, this week it will present a legal analysis of the situation, local media Euroactive reported.
TALK PAST EACH OTHER?
During the press conference, Barnier and Davis reaffirmed their stance separately, with division still being large and clear.
"To be honest, I am concerned, time passes quickly," Barnier told reporters in a press conference prior to the new Brexit talks.
"We welcome the (recent) UK government papers and we have read them very carefully... but we must start negotiating seriously," he said.
"We need UK papers that are clear. The sooner we remove the ambiguity, the sooner we will be in a position to discuss the future relationship and a transitional period," he added.
Responding indirectly to Barnier, Davis insisted that British documents were "products of the hard work and detailed thinking that has been going on behind the scenes not just the last few weeks but the last 12 months."
"They should form the basis of what I hope will be a constructive week of talks between the European Commission and the UK," said Davis.
Progress will require "flexibility and imagination from both sides ... We're ready to roll up our sleeves and get down to work again once more," said Davis.
MORE FLEXIBILITY IN NEW TALKS
A day before Davis' trip to Brussels, British government said London will push for a flexible approach in the third round.
"Both sides must be flexible and willing to compromise when it comes to solving areas where we disagree," said a press briefing from the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEu).
"As the EU itself has said, the clock is ticking so neither side should drag its feet," it added.
During the talks, Davis will build on work done over the last two weeks that outlined Britain's strategy by calling for "imagination" on both sides to drive talks forward, a spokeswoman for the DExEu said.
British government published a series of position papers outlining the country's negotiating positions regarding its withdrawal talks earlier this month.
