Speaking ahead of third round of exit talks between Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, the frustrated Belgian politician said he felt negotiations had not yet begun.
He hit out as he ranted about talks taking place “more than one year since the referendum”.
Mr Verhofstadt told CNBC: “You cannot say that this is criticism it’s simply saying ‘let’s start a real negotiation’. Officially we are now in the third round of negotiations, let’s be honest it’s maybe the first round of negotiations.
“Because before [the] summer break was the official start but not the real negotiations, the second round was a presentation and now the third round is a round of clarification.
“I’m already a long time in politics, I think what we need to do is really to start negotiations and to see how we do this withdrawal – if a transition is needed, making a transition that is not causing economic damage for nobody, neither in Britain, neither on the continent.”
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The politician said it would then be time to hash out an arrangement on future relations between Britain and the bloc.
He said: “Then starting to think about and to reflect about our future relationship, that’s what is needed, it’s not criticising, it’s saying ‘let’s start’.
“You know we are more than one year since the referendum – how many months now? 15 or 16 months?”
Despite the calls for progress Mr Barnier today revealed that Britain and the EU have made virtually no progress in the Brexit talks.
During an angry press conference briefing, the Frenchman accused the British of rejecting his proposals for a Brexit bill and trying to undermine his negotiating mandate.
After days of round-table talks Barnier addressed a press conference saying: “The single market and the EU capacity to regulate, supervise and enforce our laws must not be and will not be undermined by Brexit.”