UK negotiators insist exit bill tops agenda

BREXIT negotiators are struggling with how to keep the common travel area and Good Friday Agreement functioning in practice once the UK quits the EU in 2019.

After four days of talks in Brussels – the first round after an introductory session in June – the UK was told to “do more” to protect north-south co-operation in healthcare, energy, food safety and other areas covered by the Good Friday Agreement.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the issue was “directly relevant to the crucial objective of avoiding a hard Border”.

EU and Irish sources said they want more clarity on how the common travel area will function in practice, given the UK may no longer apply common EU rules on immigration, data protection, employment or social security post-Brexit.

The EU wants to avoid discussion on a future free trade deal with the UK until after October, when it hopes to have the outline of a deal on money, citizens and Ireland.

UK Brexit Secretary David Davis said the talks had given him “a lot to be positive about”, though his optimism was not matched by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who said there was a need to “continue building trust”.

His comments come after the 98-member British negotiating team spent two days wrangling about money with their EU counterparts, “interrogating” EU officials about their calculations and refusing to sign up to a Brexit bill until a free trade deal is on the table. The issue has the potential to derail the talks, with the EU insisting the UK produces a position paper on its budget obligations before they can move on.

Both sides agreed to come back at the end of August with more detailed offers.