Key decisions in the opening Brexit deal
BRITAIN is expected to pay up to £39billion in a series of EU divorce payments spread over several years, a senior Downing Street official said yesterday.
The total is significantly smaller than figures of up to £60billion previously suggested by Brussels.
A document on the settlement agreed yesterday did not disclose any figures but said both sides “have agreed a methodology for the financial settlement”.
Later the Prime Minister’s spokesman said the final sum would be between £35billion and £39billion. “I think we would look at it as a fair settlement for our obligations,” he said.
Eurosceptic Tory MPs fear the figure could creep up during trade talks.
One said:“It is not clear
‘DIVORCE’ BILL WILL BE £39BN
whether we will have to pay more for the expected two-year transition period.”
The document confirmed that Britain will continue to pay into the annual EU Budget until 2020 “as if it had remained in the Union”. It also said the final bill will be “drawn up and paid in euros”.
Britain will continue to receive grants back from Brussels under existing programmes until 2020.
British capital in the European Investment Bank will be returned to the UK in 12 annual instalments starting at the end of 2019. And the UK will be expected to honour commitments to fund refugee schemes in Turkey and Africa. NO “hard border” will be set up between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic after Brexit, it was agreed yesterday.
Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised to preserve the current open border arrangement – without “physical infrastructure or related checks and controls” – set up under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the troubles in Ulster.
But many details of how the border will operate were left to be worked out later after the issue proved to be one of the most difficult to resolve in the final days of the negotiations.
During the final frantic hours of talks, extra text was inserted into the draft agreement to recognise “Northern Ireland’s position as an integral part of the
IRISH BORDER WILL STAY OPEN
United Kingdom, consistent with the principle of consent”.
The words were added to attempt to allay concerns of Northern Ireland unionists, including Mrs May’s parliamentary allies in the Democratic Unionist Party.
DUP leader Arlene Foster said “substantial changes” to the text ensured there was “no red line down the Irish Sea” and no “special status” for Northern Ireland, but added that there was further work to be done.
Eurosceptic MPs were concerned that the document indicated Britain would “maintain full alignment with those rules of the internal market and the customs union” required under existing cross-border arrangements. EU CITIZENS who are settled in the UK will have their right to live, work and study protected by law.
Reciprocal rights will also be guaranteed for British expatriates living in the 27 countries staying in the EU.
Discrimination against them on grounds of nationality will be outlawed.
EU citizens settled in the UK will also have the right to be joined by spouses, civil partners and children forming part of the family at the time of Brexit, as well as any children born or adopted after that date.
Both the UK Government and EU will be able to require one another’s nationals to apply for residence status and obtain documents to prove their right to stay, through a “transparent, smooth and streamlined” process.
EU CITIZENS’ RIGHTS AGREED
And applicants can be submitted to “criminality and security checks” to ensure that law breakers can be sent home.
Theresa May won a significant concession from the EU by limiting the role of the European Court of Justice in overseeing disputes about EU citizens’ rights.
Britain’s Supreme Court will be the ultimate legal authority on such disputes, but for eight years after the transition period will be able to refer cases to the European Court of Justice.
Downing Street officials expect only about two or three cases a year to be referred to the Luxembourg-based court.