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Publication of the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK

Press statement given yesterday by Michel Barnier following the publication of the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to develop briefly each of these points.

I – First, our draft translates into a legal text our joint commitments.

Nothing in here will be a surprise for those who have followed the negotiations.

The draft text ensures that:

  • citizens' rights, our priority, will be protected as we had agreed – and we will be vigilant on the need to keep administrative procedures simple and affordable;
  • all financial commitments undertaken at 28 will be respected by the UK and the EU;
  • North-South cooperation on the island of Ireland will be protected and a hard border will be avoided.

A few words on Ireland:

Our text contains the legal commitments necessary for the protection of the rights of individuals, as well as for the protection of the Common Travel Area.

These points have been already agreed between the EU and the UK.

The withdrawal agreement must also contain a solution to avoid a hard border and to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions.

This is a joint commitment by the UK and the EU.

The Joint Report lists in paragraph 49 three options for tackling the problem.

  1. First, to deal with this through the agreement on the future relationship, if possible. Obviously, this solution will not be in place at the moment of withdrawal.
  1. Second, the UK committed to proposing specific solutions to address the unique circumstances of the island of Ireland. We look forward to receiving these proposals.
  1. Third, to maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy and the protection of the Good Friday Agreement.

This is the backstop solution that we have to put in the Withdrawal Agreement. It is the only way to guarantee that our joint commitments will be upheld in all circumstances, as the Joint Report requires.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have applied imagination and creativity to find a specific solution to the unique challenge that Brexit poses for the protection of the Good Friday Agreement.

Two issues are key to avoid border checks:

  • First, full alignment with Union law on goods, veterinary and plant health rules;
  • Second, Northern Ireland has to be covered by the Union customs code.

Our approach is strictly focused on those areas where it is needed to avoid border checks.

Daily life around the border should continue as today.

As I have said before, already today Northern Ireland has rules in place that are different from the rest of the UK.

But let me repeat what I said in my last press conference: we stand by our commitment to discuss all three options set out in the Joint Report in parallel.

On all these issues, on behalf of the 27, I will continue the dialogue with the political leaders of Northern Ireland. I will meet Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster early next week.

 

Original article link: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-18-1402_en.htm

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