Brexit talks face Irish hurdle at EU summit

Europe wants border issue settled as May says it threatens UK sovereignty

Prime Minister Theresa May was set to confront European leaders Wednesday over the fate of the Irish border when Britain quits the EU next year, as Brexit talks enter a final three-month scramble.

May will have a short opportunity to address EU leaders meeting at an informal summit in the Austrian city of Salzburg at their evening dinner, before a full day of talks on Thursday dominated by Brexit and the migration crisis.

Officials on both sides of the Channel hope that Salzburg will give new impetus to the divorce negotiations ahead of a crunch summit in Brussels on October 18 and then a probable last-gasp Brexit gathering in mid-November.

But first the issue of the border must be settled, with both camps coming up against their “red lines.” If it is not resolved the chances of Britain stumbling into a chaotic and damaging break-up next March with its neighbors and main trading partner will soar.

Salzburg’s host, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, said it was important for the 27 non-British members to stick together. In an interview with newspaper the Standard, he warned that finding a solution before November “would be anything but easy.”

Neither side wants a “hard border” to spring up between Northern Ireland, a Britishruled province, and the Irish Republic when London splits from the EU single market and customs union, as this would hurt trade and might undermine the Good Friday peace agreement.

But Europe is insisting on a “backstop” that would keep Northern Ireland in the customs union under EU rules while a future trade relationship is negotiated. London sees this as a threat to its sovereignty and refuses to countenance a de facto Irish Sea frontier.

As the British team prepared to set off, a senior government source said: “Neither side can demand the unacceptable of the other, such as an external customs border between different parts of the United Kingdom.

“No other country would accept it if they were in the same situation,” the source added, insisting that the European Commission’s proposal does not respect “the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK.”

Speaking in Brussels on the eve of Wednesday’s gettogether, Europe’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was at pains to appear conciliatory, even if his proposition differed little from the long-standing EU position.

“Our proposal for the backstop on Ireland and Northern Ireland has been on the table since February,” he said, while adding: “We are ready to improve this proposal.”

Specifically, Barnier said that he would “clarify” which goods will have to be checked by customs officers as they are transported between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

“We can also clarify that most checks can take place away from the border, at the company premises or in the market,” he said. “We need to de-dramatize the checks that are needed.”