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Brexit: Davis considers joint EU and UK status for Northern Ireland Brexit: Davis considers joint EU and UK status for Northern Ireland
(35 minutes later)
Northern Ireland could be given joint EU and UK status and a “buffer zone” on its border with Ireland, under new plans being drawn up by David Davis, according to reports. The Brexit department has confirmed it is working to “refine” plans for post-departure customs arrangements with the EU after reports said Northern Ireland could be given joint EU and UK status and a “buffer zone” on its border with Ireland.
There was no immediate response from the Department for Exiting the EU to a report in the Sun suggesting the Brexit secretary was to put forward a radical solution to the thorny issue of future customs arrangements. The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) declined to directly comment on the reports that Brexit secretary David Davis had proposed a modification of the so-called max fac customs scheme to avoid the need for Irish border checks or infrastructure.
Theresa May’s Brexit subcommittee is split down the middle between the prime minister’s preferred “customs partnership”, under which the UK would gather tariffs on behalf of the EU, and the “maximum facilitation” solution, using technology to avoid the need for border checks. The idea, outlined in the Sun, would see Northern Ireland have a joint regime of UK and EU customs regulations, allowing it to trade freely with both, and a ten-mile-wide “special economic zone” on the border with the Republic of Ireland, thus avoiding checks there.
Asked about the plan, a DExEU spokesman said: “We have set out two viable future customs arrangements with the EU and work is ongoing to refine these.
“Both of these would deliver on our commitments to ensure UK-EU trade is as frictionless as possible, avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, preserve the integrity of the UK’s internal market and enable us to establish an independent international trade policy.”
The two plans are max fac – short for maximum facilitation – which would seek to use technology to avoid border checks, and Theresa May’s preferred customs partnership, under which the UK would collect duties for the EU.
The cabinet has been deadlocked on the issue. Brexiters such as Davis have objected strongly to May’s idea, but her allies warn that the technology to achieve max fac will not be ready for some time.
With time pressure building ahead of a key European Council summit on 28 June, May had split ministers in her Brexit inner cabinet into two teams to seek solutions, with Davis heading the max fac group.
Davis’s reported plan seems an attempt to circumvent some of the objections, but raises other issues, not least the likely objections of the EU, and of the DUP, which has pledged to fight against any scheme which would treat Northern Ireland any differently from the rest of the UK.
With pressure mounting to agree on a position before a summit of EU leaders on 28 June, May set up two working groups to find amendments to the schemes which could unite her feuding ministers.With pressure mounting to agree on a position before a summit of EU leaders on 28 June, May set up two working groups to find amendments to the schemes which could unite her feuding ministers.
According to the Sun, Davis – who heads the “max fac” group – was ready to drop his support for technological solutions, after police said systems, such as number plate recognition cameras, could become a target for sectarian attack.According to the Sun, Davis – who heads the “max fac” group – was ready to drop his support for technological solutions, after police said systems, such as number plate recognition cameras, could become a target for sectarian attack.
Instead, he was reportedly drawing up a plan based on the “double-hatted” model in place in Liechtenstein, which would allow Northern Ireland to operate under both UK and EU regulations at the same time. An unnamed Whitehall source told the Sun: “Max fac 2 is tremendously complicated, but it’s at least something the cabinet can unite around.”
A 10-mile wide “special economic zone” would be created along the 310-mile border, within which traders could operate under the republic’s trade rules. Labour MP Chris Leslie, a supporter of the Brexit-opposing Open Britain campaign, said: “If there was an award for coming up with unnecessarily complicated and convoluted solutions to self-inflicted problems, David Davis would win it every year. “
An unnamed Whitehall source told the paper: “Max fac 2 is tremendously complicated, but it’s at least something the cabinet can unite around.”
The source acknowledged it would be a challenge to secure backing for the plan from the Democratic Unionist party, which props up May’s government at Westminster and has made clear that it does not want Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK.
BrexitBrexit
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
European UnionEuropean Union
David DavisDavid Davis
EuropeEurope
Foreign policyForeign policy
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