AFP, Dundalk :
The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned the talks were at “risk” because of disagreements over the future of the Irish border after Britain leaves the European Union.
At a press conference during his visit to Ireland, Barnier called for a “clear and operational solution for Ireland” to be included in the Brexit deal, adding: “Until we reach this agreement, there is a risk”.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned that Britain’s “approach to negotiations will need to change in some way” if there is to be agreement over the issue.
London has committed to avoid a “hard border” with checkpoints between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, which all sides agree is vital to maintaining the 1998 Good Friday peace accords.
However, it has also said it will not enter into a customs union with the EU post-Brexit, and has been urged to find a solution to reconcile the two positions.
The EU has suggested a “backstop” proposal, in which only Northern Ireland stays in a customs union with the EU post-Brexit, could be a possible solution.
“The backstop we put in the draft treaty, is not there to change the UK red lines, it is there because of the UK red lines, because of the red lines on the customs union and single market,” said Barnier.
Ireland foreign minister Simon Coveney said that “substantial progress” needed to be made by June’s European Council meeting. Theresa May faced a storm of protest over a transition deal struck with Brussels after conceding a series of her high-profile Brexit demands and agreeing to the “back stop” plan of keeping Northern Ireland under EU law to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
Brexit transition deal breaks seven promises made by ministers, say campaigners – as it happened
Read more
After an intense few days of talks, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, lauded a provisional agreement on the terms of a 21-month period, ending on 31 December 2020, as a “significant” moment, giving businesses and citizens the reassurance they had demanded.
Under a joint withdrawal deal published on Monday, of which 75% is agreed, the UK will retain the benefits of the single market and customs union for “near enough to the two years we asked for”, Davis said, albeit while losing its role in any decision-making institutions.
Whitehall officials noted that Liam Fox, the secretary for international trade, would be allowed to sign new trade deals to come into force in 2021 and the UK could choose to be part of the EU’s foreign policy and defence initiatives.
Legal certainty for UK businesses will only be in place once the agreement is signed and ratified – likely in 2019 – but the markets reacted well to the news, with sterling climbing to its highest level in three weeks.
Yet as details emerged of the extent of the British government’s acquiescence to the EU’s terms, on issues ranging from immigration to fisheries, senior Tory figures, including the former leader Iain Duncan Smith, turned their fire on Downing Street.
He told the BBC: “There does seem to be a real concern … It appears that at least through the implementation period nothing will change and I think that will be a concern and the government clearly has to deal with that because a lot of MPs are very uneasy about that right now.”
The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned the talks were at “risk” because of disagreements over the future of the Irish border after Britain leaves the European Union.
At a press conference during his visit to Ireland, Barnier called for a “clear and operational solution for Ireland” to be included in the Brexit deal, adding: “Until we reach this agreement, there is a risk”.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned that Britain’s “approach to negotiations will need to change in some way” if there is to be agreement over the issue.
London has committed to avoid a “hard border” with checkpoints between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland, which all sides agree is vital to maintaining the 1998 Good Friday peace accords.
However, it has also said it will not enter into a customs union with the EU post-Brexit, and has been urged to find a solution to reconcile the two positions.
The EU has suggested a “backstop” proposal, in which only Northern Ireland stays in a customs union with the EU post-Brexit, could be a possible solution.
“The backstop we put in the draft treaty, is not there to change the UK red lines, it is there because of the UK red lines, because of the red lines on the customs union and single market,” said Barnier.
Ireland foreign minister Simon Coveney said that “substantial progress” needed to be made by June’s European Council meeting. Theresa May faced a storm of protest over a transition deal struck with Brussels after conceding a series of her high-profile Brexit demands and agreeing to the “back stop” plan of keeping Northern Ireland under EU law to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
Brexit transition deal breaks seven promises made by ministers, say campaigners – as it happened
Read more
After an intense few days of talks, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, lauded a provisional agreement on the terms of a 21-month period, ending on 31 December 2020, as a “significant” moment, giving businesses and citizens the reassurance they had demanded.
Under a joint withdrawal deal published on Monday, of which 75% is agreed, the UK will retain the benefits of the single market and customs union for “near enough to the two years we asked for”, Davis said, albeit while losing its role in any decision-making institutions.
Whitehall officials noted that Liam Fox, the secretary for international trade, would be allowed to sign new trade deals to come into force in 2021 and the UK could choose to be part of the EU’s foreign policy and defence initiatives.
Legal certainty for UK businesses will only be in place once the agreement is signed and ratified – likely in 2019 – but the markets reacted well to the news, with sterling climbing to its highest level in three weeks.
Yet as details emerged of the extent of the British government’s acquiescence to the EU’s terms, on issues ranging from immigration to fisheries, senior Tory figures, including the former leader Iain Duncan Smith, turned their fire on Downing Street.
He told the BBC: “There does seem to be a real concern … It appears that at least through the implementation period nothing will change and I think that will be a concern and the government clearly has to deal with that because a lot of MPs are very uneasy about that right now.”
