While members of Parliament have been sparring for months over the deal Boris Johnson proposes to the European Union with Brexit, there seems to have been a breakthrough from the MPs in Westminster, but the EU is not so receptive. While Boris Johnson currently needs only 30 more opposing votes to turn in his favor, the Irish Backstop has proven to be the biggest factor.
With 27 days left until Brexit, here are some of the changes made in hopes to strike a deal with the European Union:
– Maintaining the Good Friday agreement with open travel between Ireland and the United Kingdom.
– Customs checks will be established between Ireland and Northern Ireland, including standard and technological checks, creating a ‘solid border’ between the two countries.
– Economic assistance will be implemented for Northern Ireland due to the likely extended stunt in economic trade.
– All-island regulatory zone will be reviewed and decided by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
– Northern Ireland will have disruption in trade with the United Kingdom because of the UK’s exit of the European Union. Single market trade between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom will execute checks from the UK but not from Northern Ireland. This means that customs with Northern Ireland will be different from the customs in Ireland, despite them both being in the EU, while Northern Ireland will have separate rules with the UK despite being a part of the United Kingdom.
So what are the thoughts from the European Union on the new deal? It’s not an overall optimistic outlook.
“EU negotiators say they have already identified problems with the plans, including the continuing failure to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and the threat to the single market. Donald Tusk reacted in a tweet, after speaking to Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar, who is seen as key to agreeing to a withdrawal deal.
@eucopresident
For his part, Mr. Varadkar voiced concerns over the customs proposals, questioning how Northern Ireland and Ireland could operate under different customs systems without the need for physical checkpoints.
He also questioned the plan to give Northern Ireland’s Assembly a veto over entering into a “regulatory zone” with the EU, without the involvement of the Ireland or the EU.” (bbc.com, 2019).
REFERENCES
Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan: EU ‘open but unconvinced’. (2019, October 3). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49927186.
Image: Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2019/october/prime-minister-updates-the-house-of-commons-on-brexit-negotiations/
Tusk, D. (2019, October 3). Today I had two phone calls on #Brexit, first with Dublin then with London.My message to Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar: We stand fully behind Ireland.My message to PM @BorisJohnson: We remain open but still unconvinced. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1179762497466830848.
