EU’S harsh words for Irish border plan – and Davis
The Irish border cannot be the test case for Britain’s relations with Europe in the wake of Brexit, the UK has been warned.
Brussels’ chief negotiator Michael Barnier fired a sharp rebuke at London as he called for a unique solution for the island of Ireland and said it was up to the UK to find one.
“What I see in the UK’S paper on Ireland and Northern Ireland worries me,” he said, unveiling the EU’S stance on the border issue.
Mr Barnier accused Theresa May’s Government of trying to get the European Union to suspend its laws, customs unions and single market along the six counties of Northern Ireland.
“And the UK wants to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future EU-UK customs relations. This will not happen,” Mr Barnier said.
Mr Barnier’s negotiating paper effectively ruled out the Irish question being used as a template for any other EUUK border. It said Brexit had to protect the very specific and interwoven “political, economic, security, societal and agricultural” issues on the island of Ireland.
Reports in Ireland suggested the document was heavily influenced by Dublin. The Irish Government said its priorities remain protecting the Good Friday Agreement 0 Michael Barnier fired a sharp rebuke at London and the peace process by avoiding a hard border and maintaining the Common Travel Area.
In response, Brexit Secretary David Davis’s office claimed that Europe’s commitment to avoid checkpoints along the Irish border was a “very important step forward”.
Meanwhile, it emerged that European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker voiced concern about the “stability and accountability” of David Davis and his political mandate to conduct Brexit talks.
In talks with Mr Barnier, Mr Juncker said the Brexit Secretary’s “apparent lack of involvement” in talks “risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations”, according to official minutes.
An official Commission spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the situation had “moved on” since 12 July when the meeting was held.