Brexit Bill Swells on Pensions as EU Parliament Draws Red Lines
- EU budget data shows pension liabilities rose 5% last year
- EU Parliament calls for ECJ jurisdiction during transition
EU's Barnier Demands Brexit Clarity from U.K.
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Efforts to unblock the Brexit stalemate suffered two setbacks on Wednesday as data showed swelling European pension costs would add to Britain’s exit bill and the veto-wielding European Parliament dug its heels in on what kind of deal it would accept.
As U.K. and European Union officials haggle over the size of Britain’s divorce settlement, documents show the EU’s liabilities grew by almost 4 percent in 2016, with the cost of pensions for EU officials rising more than 5 percent. Higher pension costs -- already a controversial part of the bill -- will increase what the EU thinks the U.K. should pay, and risk injecting additional tension into already fraught talks.