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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/25/brexit-uk-must-table-proposals-irish-backstop-next-week-leo-varadkar
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| Brexit: UK told it must table proposals for Irish backstop by next week | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The UK must table written proposals to solve the Irish border question over Brexit within the next week, Leo Varadkar and Donald Tusk have agreed. | The UK must table written proposals to solve the Irish border question over Brexit within the next week, Leo Varadkar and Donald Tusk have agreed. |
| Revealing details of his conversation with the head of the European council in New York during the UN general assembly, the taoiseach said: “We have working methods and I know that President Tusk and other EU heads of government would like to see British proposals in writing really in the first week of October, otherwise it is very hard to see how we could agree something at the summit in the middle of October. | Revealing details of his conversation with the head of the European council in New York during the UN general assembly, the taoiseach said: “We have working methods and I know that President Tusk and other EU heads of government would like to see British proposals in writing really in the first week of October, otherwise it is very hard to see how we could agree something at the summit in the middle of October. |
| “The withdrawal agreement is actually an international treaty. It’s not the kind of thing that can be amended or cobbled together late at night at the European council meeting on 17th of October. | “The withdrawal agreement is actually an international treaty. It’s not the kind of thing that can be amended or cobbled together late at night at the European council meeting on 17th of October. |
| “So if the UK does have meaningful proposals, changes that they would like to suggest to the withdrawal agreement or to the joint political declaration more particularly, we really need to see them in advance so that they can be worked through and worked up in advance of the EU summit.” | “So if the UK does have meaningful proposals, changes that they would like to suggest to the withdrawal agreement or to the joint political declaration more particularly, we really need to see them in advance so that they can be worked through and worked up in advance of the EU summit.” |
| The British government’s version of Brexit involves the UK ultimately leaving the single market and customs union, requiring the return of a range of checks on goods crossing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The “backstop” is intended as a standstill placeholder to ensure such checks do not have to be imposed between Brexit happening with a deal, and the start of a new free trade agreement yet to be negotiated between the UK and the EU. | |
| Theresa May's withdrawal agreement proposed keeping the whole of the UK in a shared customs territory with the EU during this period. An alternative idea involves only Northern Ireland staying in the EU’s customs territory. That would place a customs border in the Irish Sea. May described it as a threat to the constitutional integrity of the UK, but the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, has opened the current talks by proposing an all-Ireland agri-food zone. The suggestion is that he will seek to quietly build on that with further NI-only arrangements. | |
| Given an NI-only backstop was an EU proposal in the first place, the U-turn would be warmly welcomed in Brussels, although attempts to give the Northern Ireland assembly a veto on its continuation would not be acceptable, and the DUP would be unlikely to support the prime minister in such a move in parliament. | |
| If there is a no-deal Brexit, then there is no backstop. | |
| Daniel Boffey | |
| Officially the EU still maintains that the withdrawal agreement cannot be reopened, but Varadkar’s comments, taken in conjunction with other remarks made in recent days, indicate a softening of this hard line. | Officially the EU still maintains that the withdrawal agreement cannot be reopened, but Varadkar’s comments, taken in conjunction with other remarks made in recent days, indicate a softening of this hard line. |
| Two weeks ago Ireland’s EU commissioner, Phil Hogan, said if improvements to the withdrawal agreement that could seal a deal were needed, they would be considered. | Two weeks ago Ireland’s EU commissioner, Phil Hogan, said if improvements to the withdrawal agreement that could seal a deal were needed, they would be considered. |
| “There are constitutional issues that are already in the withdrawal agreement that might have to be improved upon if this is a request that’s made. Of course we can look at it. | “There are constitutional issues that are already in the withdrawal agreement that might have to be improved upon if this is a request that’s made. Of course we can look at it. |
| “Also we have to have the north-south dimension in the context of the Good Friday agreement and if there is oversight needed there I’m sure we can look at it,” he said. | “Also we have to have the north-south dimension in the context of the Good Friday agreement and if there is oversight needed there I’m sure we can look at it,” he said. |
| Talks between UK officials and the commission continued in Brussels on Wednesday but EU diplomats took it as significant that Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator, David Frost, was not in attendance. | Talks between UK officials and the commission continued in Brussels on Wednesday but EU diplomats took it as significant that Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator, David Frost, was not in attendance. |
| “I suppose they will keep on turning up and we will continue to engage but even trying to gather what the UK wants to talk about in these talks is difficult – even that needs political sign off and it seems difficult to get,” said one EU source. | “I suppose they will keep on turning up and we will continue to engage but even trying to gather what the UK wants to talk about in these talks is difficult – even that needs political sign off and it seems difficult to get,” said one EU source. |
| “People have been saying for ages that we might have to wait until after the Conservative party conference for new proposals – but, really, will it make a difference? The gap between the two sides is so large. And it is just weeks now until the summit. It seems certain that the UK will seek an extension, and there isn’t a majority for a deal in parliament.” | “People have been saying for ages that we might have to wait until after the Conservative party conference for new proposals – but, really, will it make a difference? The gap between the two sides is so large. And it is just weeks now until the summit. It seems certain that the UK will seek an extension, and there isn’t a majority for a deal in parliament.” |
| Another informed source said there was some expectation that Johnson would come up with a plan for the border that involved little more than a “surgical” insertion to the withdrawal agreement, but that had not happened. | Another informed source said there was some expectation that Johnson would come up with a plan for the border that involved little more than a “surgical” insertion to the withdrawal agreement, but that had not happened. |
| Focus has centred on a potential Stormont lock, giving the devolved assembly a say on any regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and Ireland. However sources said this was unlikely to be enough to seal a deal. | Focus has centred on a potential Stormont lock, giving the devolved assembly a say on any regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and Ireland. However sources said this was unlikely to be enough to seal a deal. |
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