Will Brussels blink first on Irish border?

BRUSSELS is preparing to change its stance on future arrangements for the Irish border in a bid to break the Brexit talks deadlock.

It raises the prospect of a ‘divorce’ deal being struck by the end of the year, although critics said yesterday the EU needs to ‘clarify’ its position further.

The vexed issue remains the main obstacle to avoiding a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

It emerged yesterday that EU negotiators are amending their proposal for a ‘backstop’ to stop a hard border emerging between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if Brexit talks fail to agree a solution to preventing one.

Brussels’ changes take elements of the so-called ‘Maximum Facilitation’ plan for the border by using technological solutions. It would involve minimising checks carried out on goods heading to Northern Ireland from the UK mainland.

Under ‘trusted trader’ schemes, checks could be made either on ferries or in factories before crossing the Irish sea, giving the EU confidence goods conform to single market rules.

However, critics pointed out yesterday that the amended offer would apparently still involve Northern Ireland having a different status to the rest of the UK by remaining aligned to large parts of the EU’s single market and customs union – something Theresa May has rejected.