This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/20/eu-rejects-irish-border-proposals-and-says-brexit-talks-could-still-fail
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| EU rejects Irish border proposals and says Brexit talks could still fail | EU rejects Irish border proposals and says Brexit talks could still fail |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The EU’s chief negotiator has said there is still a “risk of failure” in the Brexit negotiations as Brussels again rejected the UK’s proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland. | The EU’s chief negotiator has said there is still a “risk of failure” in the Brexit negotiations as Brussels again rejected the UK’s proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland. |
| Michel Barnier said on Friday that a quarter of the work needed to complete preparations for the UK to leave the the EU next March remains to be done, as sources say little progress was made in three weeks of talks to break the deadlock on the vexed Irish question. | |
| “In terms of what has been agreed so far, it’s about 75%,” he told France 2 television. | |
| Even if Britain and the EU were working towards a British exit from the EU taking place in March 2019, this may not happen if outstanding topics such as Ireland were unresolved, he said. | Even if Britain and the EU were working towards a British exit from the EU taking place in March 2019, this may not happen if outstanding topics such as Ireland were unresolved, he said. |
| “There are always difficulties, and risks of a failure,” said Barnier. Some in Britain want “what the English call cherry-picking”, he said, adding that the reply to that was: “No way.” | |
| A No 10 spokesman said on Friday the UK did not recognise claims that its plans for the Irish border had been subjected to a “systematic and forensic annihilation” by EU officials at a meeting this week with Britain’s lead negotiator, Olly Robbins. | A No 10 spokesman said on Friday the UK did not recognise claims that its plans for the Irish border had been subjected to a “systematic and forensic annihilation” by EU officials at a meeting this week with Britain’s lead negotiator, Olly Robbins. |
| The Daily Telegraph quoted unnamed EU diplomatic sources as saying that the Brussels officials delivered “a detailed and forensic rebuttal”, making clear that “none of the UK customs options will work - none of them”. | The Daily Telegraph quoted unnamed EU diplomatic sources as saying that the Brussels officials delivered “a detailed and forensic rebuttal”, making clear that “none of the UK customs options will work - none of them”. |
| Sources say reports that Barnier had suspended internal talks on the future EU-UK trade deal until the Irish issue is resolved were incorrect. | Sources say reports that Barnier had suspended internal talks on the future EU-UK trade deal until the Irish issue is resolved were incorrect. |
| But government sources did express exasperation at what they regard as the intransigence of the EU27. | But government sources did express exasperation at what they regard as the intransigence of the EU27. |
| Mujtaba Rahman, of the political consultancy Eurasia group, said: “This is the first time in an official meeting the UK’s Mansion House proposals have been systematically shot down by the EU side.” | Mujtaba Rahman, of the political consultancy Eurasia group, said: “This is the first time in an official meeting the UK’s Mansion House proposals have been systematically shot down by the EU side.” |
| While talks will continue over the next three weeks to try to achieve a breakthrough, there are fears that the Irish border question could, once again, prove a roadblock in wider Brexit negotiations when EU leaders meet again in June. | While talks will continue over the next three weeks to try to achieve a breakthrough, there are fears that the Irish border question could, once again, prove a roadblock in wider Brexit negotiations when EU leaders meet again in June. |
| The EU27 negotiating team are frustrated that little has changed on the British side since last August, when they first rejected the government’s proposals. | The EU27 negotiating team are frustrated that little has changed on the British side since last August, when they first rejected the government’s proposals. |
| Britain was proposing a new “streamlined customs partnership” that involved “regulatory equivalence” on both sides of the border, with the option for future “divergence” – something that the EU has rejected as unworkable. | Britain was proposing a new “streamlined customs partnership” that involved “regulatory equivalence” on both sides of the border, with the option for future “divergence” – something that the EU has rejected as unworkable. |
| Pro soft-Brexit Conservative MPs believe the government may be deliberately presenting proposals it knows will be knocked back by Brussels, to help the prime minister break the deadlock in Cabinet about how to proceed. | Pro soft-Brexit Conservative MPs believe the government may be deliberately presenting proposals it knows will be knocked back by Brussels, to help the prime minister break the deadlock in Cabinet about how to proceed. |
| Backers of a customs union believe it is the only way of resolving the border issue; but it would also constrain the UK’s ability to strike distinct trade deals with non-EU countries. | Backers of a customs union believe it is the only way of resolving the border issue; but it would also constrain the UK’s ability to strike distinct trade deals with non-EU countries. |
| The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday: “Without your ability to do things in a different way if you want, and your ability to do free trade deals, there is very little point in Brexit. I think Theresa totally gets that.” | The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday: “Without your ability to do things in a different way if you want, and your ability to do free trade deals, there is very little point in Brexit. I think Theresa totally gets that.” |
| With a debate and vote on the customs union in the House of Commons next week expected to reveal the level of support for it among MPs, some believe the prime minister could yet be forced into conceding on her red line on the issue. | With a debate and vote on the customs union in the House of Commons next week expected to reveal the level of support for it among MPs, some believe the prime minister could yet be forced into conceding on her red line on the issue. |
| There are concerns in particular around agriculture that unless there was “alignment” in regulations, standards of food and livestock cross the border could not be guaranteed to be up to the EU’s standards. | There are concerns in particular around agriculture that unless there was “alignment” in regulations, standards of food and livestock cross the border could not be guaranteed to be up to the EU’s standards. |
| Efforts to find a wording agreeable to both sides to provide a “backstop” option in the event that the overall Brexit deal did not obviate a need for border checks in Ireland have also not produced a breakthrough. | Efforts to find a wording agreeable to both sides to provide a “backstop” option in the event that the overall Brexit deal did not obviate a need for border checks in Ireland have also not produced a breakthrough. |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| Article 50 | Article 50 |
| European Union | European Union |
| Europe | Europe |
| Ireland | Ireland |
| Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |