Barnier now up... @EUROCHAMBRES
“We are doing our best to reach a deal... a lot of the Withdrawal Agreement has been agreed.. 80-85% for the moment, however difficult issues left until the end... governance (ie ECJ) geographical indicators and Ireland”
“We are doing our best to reach a deal... a lot of the Withdrawal Agreement has been agreed.. 80-85% for the moment, however difficult issues left until the end... governance (ie ECJ) geographical indicators and Ireland”
Barnier: as UK leaving Customs Union and Single Market “there must be checks” on VAT, customs & standards.. “the EU proposes to carry out these checks in the least intrusive way possible”
Barnier: “The only visible checks between NI and rest of UK would be the scanning of barcodes” - already happens within some EU states ie Spain and Canary Islands
Barnier: will have to be further checks GB-NI for live animal and products of animal origin
“What arrives in Northern Ireland will be arriving into our single market” as both sides have agreed there will be no checks on the land border
“What arrives in Northern Ireland will be arriving into our single market” as both sides have agreed there will be no checks on the land border
Barnier: our proposal gives NI benefits that no other part of a third country has ever had, full access to EU free trade area and all EU FTAs with third countries...
It is a safety net. Future relationship might make checks redundant, eg a veterinary Agreement...
It is a safety net. Future relationship might make checks redundant, eg a veterinary Agreement...
Barnier: we are still open to having a customs union with UK, which would do away with the need for many checks
Barnier: “The EU Parliament will have the last word” on ratification...
Barnier: we’ve taken into account the Chequers proposal - the White Paper is useful to enable a benchmarking with our proposals. A lot of convergence on security, military, defence cooperation. Research, aviation, transport...
Barnier: when it comes to the economic relationship (in Chequers) there are things that don’t tally with my mandate - yes FTA with no tariffs and quotas...
UK Govt must respect we too want to retain control of our external borders/ Customs...
UK Govt must respect we too want to retain control of our external borders/ Customs...
Barnier re Chequers single market for goods: “this would be tantamount to giving a huge competitive advantage to UK companies”
PM can’t really argue they haven’t explained their problem with Chequers now
PM can’t really argue they haven’t explained their problem with Chequers now
Barnier concludes by saying he will continue to negotiate with serenity till the end with respect to a country who will remain a close partner and ally in all probability...
public acknowledgement of what Brussels has said privately - Chequers Single Market for Goods seen as a ruse to undercut EU industry re “flanking legislation” -eg enviro, tax, labour laws - means EU valuing Single Market integrity over maintaining UK in frictionless supply chains
Ie EU saying that by choosing to leave Single Market and Customs Union, UK is choosing to abandon frictionless trade across the Channel.. Ie saying the same No in a different way.
... but Barnier explained Brussels thinking/ bemusement that it is offering Northern Ireland, uniquely, the maintenance of frictionless EU trade and free trade with all its partners, though and the cost of some barcode scans and intensified animal checks on the GB-NI border...
Though clearly this is seen v differently by the DUP - that it is constitutionally unacceptable that de facto Barnier is saying that NI would not be a part of the new UK Government trade deals to be negotiated post Brexit - ie GB only trade independence
