European ministers gather in Luxembourg to talk Brexit as Prime Minister Theresa May briefs her Cabinet. The question now is whether EU leaders meeting Wednesday for dinner can find a way through the deadlock.

EU Trying to Do ‘As Little Harm as Possible’ (12:50 p.m.)

“Our commitment is to try to find a solution,” European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans told reporters in Luxembourg. “We are in the middle of a very, very delicate process, and the only thing that I can assure you is that everyone at the Commission—Michel Barnier, Jean-Claude Juncker, everyone—is doing their utmost to do as little harm as possible and to try to find a solution for the issues that have not been solved yet.”

Cabinet Meeting Continues… (12:35 p.m.)

The Cabinet meeting, which was due to last two hours and end at 11:30 a.m., was still going on after 2 1/2 hours, according to a person familiar with the timing.

Earlier November Summit Would Help U.K. (12 p.m.)

As the French official said earlier, the Nov. 17-18 date for a possible Brexit summit next month isn’t set in stone. Officials on both sides suggest it could be held earlier to help May get the parliamentary support she needs. Officials in Brussels increasingly see the U.K. budget, scheduled for Oct. 29, as a milestone and believe a summit could happen at any time after that.

But a word of warning: There’s no certainty about a November summit taking place at all. It all depends on whether EU leaders decide at their meeting on Wednesday there’s been enough progress in the negotiations to warrant one.

Clark: ‘Substantial Upside’ From Deal (11:50 a.m.)

Meanwhile in the House of Commons, Business Secretary Greg Clark is answering questions from lawmakers concerned about the impact of Brexit uncertainty on on British businesses. Clark takes up the line delivered last week by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, that if the U.K. secures the sort of deal it’s seeking, “there is substantial upside to the economy.”

May Briefs Cabinet After Pizza Plot Cools (11:40 a.m.)

May is meeting her Cabinet to discuss the state of play this morning, with her spokesman expected to update the media afterward.

It comes after eight senior ministers—including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt—met over a takeaway pizza on Monday night in the office of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom to discuss their concerns over May’s negotiating strategy.

According to a person familiar with the discussions, they remain deeply worried about the Irish border backstop—but they’re not about to quit the government while the negotiations are up in the air. Their view seems to be that there is little alternative to May’s plan except for a no-deal Brexit.

Another EU Meeting Before November? (11:25 a.m.)

More from the French official (10:45 a.m), who told reporters in Paris that Brexit talks must continue immediately after the Wednesday summit, where it is clear a deal is not likely to be reached. The EU27 plan to send a message of “urgency” to the U.K., the official said.

Notably, the official also put forward the possibility of another EU meeting before November to try to avoid last-minute crisis negotiations on Brexit.

German Official: No Sign Talks Will Collapse (11 a.m.)

A German official sounded a note of optimism, telling reporters there’s no indication that talks with the U.K. will collapse and that negotiations remain on track to meet November time frame for a deal—though he said the EU must prepare for all scenarios.

There has been progress in talks and officials are working on solving final problem, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with briefing rules. The so-called Irish backstop must be legally watertight in the divorce agreement, the official said.

French Official: Irish Border Talks Ongoing (10:45 a.m.)

Negotiations on the Irish border and so-called backstop are ongoing and may not be resolved before Wednesday’s summit, though France is confident progress will be made, a French official told reporters in Paris.

No Food For May (10:10 a.m.)

May will address leaders before their dinner on Wednesday, and then the so-called EU27 will scuttle off on their own to discuss what she’s said, according to a EU official who briefed reporters. They will decide what to do next—call a summit in November in a sign they believe there’s progress, or step up no-deal planning. Or possibly both.

The EU is not where it wanted to be by now, the official said. And things are trickier than they had expected. The EU is also pushing the line that it’s not in that much of a rush—the rush is on the U.K. side because of the parliamentary process that has to follow.

Rinkevics: 50-50 Chance of Talks Failing (9:45 a.m.)

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told reporters in Luxembourg he still sees a 50-50 chance of Brexit negotiations failing, calling for “more diplomacy, more push for talks.”

“I understand the British government and its difficulties, but I also believe that the EU is united at 27,” he said, referring to the remaining members of the bloc. “There is a need for some good compromise that should be made.”

Coming Up:

  • May is due to address her 27 counterparts Wednesday at the start of dinner. They will then continue to talk Brexit without her. It could go late.

Earlier:

Brexit Bulletin: Creative Thinking NeededMay and Macron Strike Dovish Tone Before High-Wire Brexit SummitBrexit Used to Mean Brexit. What Does it Mean Now?: John AuthersA No-Deal Brexit Isn’t Scaring People Enough: Therese RaphaelBrexit Talks on Ice as Stalemate Throws Deadline Into Doubt