How can border controls between British Norrn Ireland and EU member Ireland be avoided after Britain leaves EU? This is a question that Brexit negotiator has been dealing with for months, and it has apparently led to a deep split between head of government Theresa May and her minister responsible for Brexit, David Davis. British media reported on Thursday morning that Davis had threatened to resign. In afternoon, re were two news from UK: Davis remains in office – and British government has a plan for delicate border issue.
And government published a paper by formulating a transitional regime on border issue. The speech is about a so-called emergency system (backstop), which May had already brought into play. It foresees that Britain will remain in customs union until no or solution has been found on border issue. The Mays proposal would put British trade rules in line with those of EU until a permanent agreement was reached.
This emergency regime shall apply after end of transitional period, which shall be Brexit to Convention. This means that it would reach from 2021, when Britain really wanted to leave customs union and internal market. The government's paper states that emergency solution is not UK's "preferred option" and that it is limited in time.
If in recent weeks it has been expected that British government will not give a date for this limitation, Mays ' opponents have apparently prevailed on this point: paper says that by December 2021 a viable solution should be found Be. This is point in which we are still negotiating with EU, and re is also a "set of options" for this time limit. It is also unclear who will ultimately decide on an end to emergency solution.
I welcome publication of UK proposal on customs aspects of IE/NI backstop. We will examine it with 3 questions: Is it a workable solution to avoid a hard border? Does it respect integrity of SM/cu? Is it an all-wear backstop?
— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) June 7, 2018The EU had not been very enthusiastic about plans of Mays in recent weeks. Michel Barnier, who negotiated exit from EU side with Great Britain, wrote now on Twitter, he welcomed paper, but still see open questions.
Above all, re is a question: what happens to border between Ireland and Norrn Ireland if no solution has been found in question until end of 2021? There is still no answer to this point in government's paper. In Britain, discussion is likely to continue: according to reports, Davis fears that Mays's plan to avoid so-called hard border between Norrn Ireland and Ireland could force country to abide by EU rules indefinitely. The May plan would "effectively involve Britain for an indefinite period in EU customs agreement," said Conservative MEP David Jones.
border controls Nobody wantsMembers of a customs union agree on common customs duties for imports into ir countries. The movement of goods must refore no longer be checked at its internal borders. At external borders, however, controls are inevitable. A new EU external border would result from Britain's withdrawal between Ireland and Norrn Ireland.
border controls want to avoid all sides in order not to recreate conflict in former Civil War region. But how to do that is unclear so far. The question is one of most important on way to an exit agreement. It should actually be clarified by EU summit at end of June at latest.
The EU's proposal that Norrn Ireland should remain in customs union and controls should take place at ports between Britain and Ireland, government in London rejects categorically.
Date Of Update: 08 June 2018, 12:02
