Irish border threat to Brexit talks – Barnier
Brexit negotiations could fail unless the UK softens its stance on the Irish border issue, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator warned.
European Committee of the Regions
30 April 2018Speaking to reporters in Dundalk alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Barnier said he was determined to reach an agreement that would avoid a ‘hard’ border between the Republic and Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Related stories:
“We have tried to get him to understand the unionist position for the people of Northern Ireland, but he hasn’t really responded to that and I’m disappointed about that.“I am also disappointed that he will hear anti-Brexit voices tomorrow, he won’t hear any pro-Brexit voices tomorrow because he is being taken around by Sinn Fein MPs.”For his part, Mr Varadkar said that the UK’s “approach to negotiations will need to change in some way” if there was to be agreement. His deputy, Simon Coveney, said, “The British government has red lines all over the place and expects the EU to accommodate them. We have red lines, so does the EU, but nobody seems to focus on that.“It is not OK for the British government to rule out a whole series of options and then pretend that somebody, somewhere is going to find a solution to find a way forward. The next move is Britain’s in the negotiations.”
“We need to agree rapidly by June on the scope of all-island customs and regulations, the safety and controls that we need to respect the single market.” For related news and features, visit our Brexit section. Find out more about our upcoming Relocate Awards. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.
Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory
Brexit talks at risk over Irish border
But he said there was “a real risk” that the Brexit talks as a whole could fail unless Britain came up with fresh proposals over the border by the time of the EU summit in June.He also rejected accusations from Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster that he did not understand Ulster unionists’ fears over the border issue, not least over the EU’s proposal that Northern Ireland should effectively remain in the Customs Union and Single Market, effectively creating a border down the middle of the Irish Sea.Ms Foster told the BBC ahead of Mr Barnier’s visit, “He’s hearing a very strong message from the Republic of Ireland’s government, he’s hearing it from Sinn Fein.Related stories:
- Post-Brexit Irish border proposals ‘will not work’
- What would a hard Irish border mean for UK and EU trade?
- Post-Brexit Dublin: the city of opportunity?
“We have tried to get him to understand the unionist position for the people of Northern Ireland, but he hasn’t really responded to that and I’m disappointed about that.“I am also disappointed that he will hear anti-Brexit voices tomorrow, he won’t hear any pro-Brexit voices tomorrow because he is being taken around by Sinn Fein MPs.”For his part, Mr Varadkar said that the UK’s “approach to negotiations will need to change in some way” if there was to be agreement. His deputy, Simon Coveney, said, “The British government has red lines all over the place and expects the EU to accommodate them. We have red lines, so does the EU, but nobody seems to focus on that.“It is not OK for the British government to rule out a whole series of options and then pretend that somebody, somewhere is going to find a solution to find a way forward. The next move is Britain’s in the negotiations.”
Technology rejected as a solution to the Irish border question
The UK has committed itself to a “frictionless” border after Brexit and has proposed that technology could avoid the need for border checks. However, experts have questioned the viability of such an approach.“We all believe the best outcome and for would be a very close relationship between the UK and EU,” said Mr Barnier. “This is an extraordinary negotiation, very complex, extraordinarily complex and we want to succeed with the UK, not against the UK.“We need to agree rapidly by June on the scope of all-island customs and regulations, the safety and controls that we need to respect the single market.” For related news and features, visit our Brexit section. Find out more about our upcoming Relocate Awards. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.
Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory ©2024 Re:locate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.
