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Nick Gutteridge
@nick_gutteridge
, 4 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
Joint Juncker-May statement:

💥 Exploring ‘guarantees’ on temporary nature of backstop

💥 Kicking Max Fac into the future relationship

💥 Talks on beefing up the Political Declaration

This has been the political pathway to a deal for some time now.

europa.eu/rapid/press-re…
Interesting that May references the Juncker-Tusk letter from last month. The one saying the backstop ‘would only apply temporarily’ if triggered and that Selmayr hinted to MPs could be appended to the Withdrawal Agreement.
Both sides also agree to explore ‘the process the Commission and the UK will follow’ towards the aim of alternative arrangements replacing the need for the backstop in a future relationship. So a detailed roadmap including commitments for working together on technological fixes.
Plus finally looking at ways to ‘increase confidence in the focus & ambition of both sides in delivering the future partnership’. So possibly making that document more binding. A bland statement on the surface but some interesting gems in if you delve into the language a bit.
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More from @nick_gutteridge see all

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Nick Gutteridge
@nick_gutteridge
Commission spokesman: 'Barnier informed Commissioners that while the talks take place in a constructive atmosphere discussions have been difficult. No solution has been identified at this point which is consistent with the WA including the protocol on NI which won't be reopened.'
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox: 'We're into the meat of the matter now. We have put forward some proposals, very reasonable proposals. Both sides have exchanged robust, strong views and we are now facing the real discussions. Talks will be resuming soon.'
Commission spokesman adds that Barnier 'offered ideas on how to give further assurances' that the backstop will only apply for as long as necessary, unless and until it can be replaced by a future trading relationship. He adds that further technical talks will carry on all week.
Read 3 tweets
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Nick Gutteridge
@nick_gutteridge
Internal row brewing between Council/Parliament vs Commission over creation of new EU Space Programme & post-Brexit UK's place in it. Member States & MEPs have agreed on it. But Commission seems to fear it could open a loophole for UK to keep decision making powers on Galileo.
Commission spokes: 'In case of UK withdrawal from EU, Commission has been consistent 3rd country access to development of security sensitive matters such as manufacturing of PRS security models is not possible. We have a duty to defend institutional prerogatives of this house.'
EP President Tajani: 'Commission should intervene only in case the agreement reached distorts the proposal in a way that prevents the achievement of the original objectives. I hope the agreement will be respected together with timeline foreseen for adoption of Space Programme.'
Read 4 tweets
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Nick Gutteridge
@nick_gutteridge
Cox is set to finally table new legal text on backstop when he meets Barnier today. Talks are focussed on fleshing out 'good faith' provisions as outlined in Art 5 of WA and how they apply to Art 184 (trade talks) and Art 20 of IE protocol (review clause). thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/85…
Or in plain English, the UK & EU looking at setting out how the UK can use the good faith obligation in the (legally binding) Withdrawal Agreement to challenge and exit the backstop if the two sides don't agree a trade deal along the lines of what's in the Political Declaration.
Worth remembering review clause specifically states future UK-EU provisions could lead to backstop being superseded 'in whole or in part' depending on what criteria for avoiding a hard border they meet. So could end up in situation in 2023 where only part of backstop is applied.
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

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Katy Hayward
@hayward_katy
A quick thread on May’s statement, for the bedtime tweeters.
Ignore the claim there are 6 key issues.

All that is worth looking at is what she says she will not do;
what she says she will do;
+ what she says might do.

TL;DR: There is no Plan B.

1/12
gov.uk/government/spe…
What she won’t do:
Revoke Art. 50 (that’s just rude);
Extend Art.50 (so No Deal remains live);
Call a 2nd referendum (she doubts it’ll win)*

* Though she doesn't completely rule out the possibility of Parliament bringing this forward.

2/12
What she might do post-Brexit:
Take lessons from her mistakes in these negotiations when it comes to negotiating the future relationship.
She’ll be more inclusive: ‘engaging’ with elected reps from NI (and [randomly] English regions), & businesses & other normal people.

3/12
Read 12 tweets
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Tim Durrant
@timd_IFG
Govt is expected to lose the #meaningfulvote tomorrow – but what are MPs' objections to the actual deal? A few thoughts below on four main criticisms of the deal – which show MPs still don't understand (willfully or otherwise) what #Brexit really means

[1/12]
1: “The backstop cedes part of the UK”. No, it doesn’t. NI’s status will only change under the terms agreed in the 1998 Belfast Agreement – no possibility of an accidental unification of Ireland. Both sides reiterated this in letters today

gov.uk/government/pub…

[2/12]
1 cont’d: And the UK-wide customs territory is a *win* for the UK – UK asked for it and EU clearly unhappy with it. Ensures no need for customs checks between GB and NI

[3/12]
Read 13 tweets
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James Crisp
@JamesCrisp6
Ok here is a steaming hot take on the exchange of letters offering assurances over the Irish border backstop. First impressions are that EU trying to help with talk of discuss “alternative arrangements “ ie tech solutions to Irish border, once dismissed as ‘magical thinking’
1/
In May’s letter to Tusk and Juncker, she reminds them she suggested a legal commitment to have future relationship talks end by 2021 at the latest.

Tusk and Juncker don’t mention this in their response. It aint going to happen, which we knew already.

2/
May asks for exploratory trade talks to start as soon as Withdrawal agreement is signed. She asks for "particular urgency' for tech solutions to border, wants EU to stress legal link between political declaration & WA
3/
Read 11 tweets
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David Henig
@DavidHenigUK
With the Brexit debate returning to Parliament today, let's go back to basics and explore the facts, key issues, and questions that should be raised in the coming days. Thread... 1/
Most important point, which cannot be emphasised enough - the Withdrawal Agreement is primarily concerned with the terms of the divorce, e.g. financial, citizenship, and not the future (though the Irish backstop complicates this) 2/
Thus any statement a Minister makes about the future relationship being secured (such as that below from the Gov's 40 reasons to back the Brexit deal) is false. The political declaration setting out the future relationship is not binding. 3/
Read 20 tweets
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Peter Foster
@pmdfoster
Olly Robbins is in Brussels today for more #Brexit talks.

Top of the agenda is the 'insoluble' Irish backstop issue - but how 'insoluble' it really? Is there a way through?

Maybe. Some thoughts after chats with both sides. 1/Thread

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/…
First, the problem, real quick.

EU needs 'backstop' that works in all eventualities, including a breakdown in future relationship talks at the end of transition.

With no border in Ireland, there "must" logically be checks between NI and GB to protect single market. /2
The problem is that puts a *customs* border in the Irish Sea, and the UK government cannot live with that, since it splits up UK.

Theresa May was very hard over on this point in her speech in Belfast. Barnier's Task Force 50 blanched last week when they saw how hard over. /3
Read 22 tweets
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Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Michel Barnier interview extras - a few extras, a few thoughts - thread.
The most significant thing was MB ruling out David Davis’ vision of Canada +++, Theresa May’s “deep and special” bespoke deal. In the Brussels shop of models, countries can pick from what is on the shelf, not order custom-made.
MB wants agreements with UK on security and defence, judicial cooperation and aviation - he gave these as three examples of ‘pluses’. None are about economics, the bedrock of 1957 treaty.
Read 21 tweets

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