Profile picture
Adam Fleming
@adamfleming
, 6 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Details have emerged of what David Frost asked for in Brussels yesterday after a briefing of EU27 diplomats by officials from the European Commission. Negotiators believe it amounted to bits of the Withdrawal Agreement crossed out NOT concrete proposals. (1)
The UK wants the backstop radically reduced to include only the articles dealing with citizens rights, the single electricity market and the Common Travel Area. UK wants removal of articles 6-10 and 12 and associated annexes. (2)
There would be general commitment to find operable solutions to the Irish border later, with the details to be agreed by the EU/UK Joint Committee after Brexit. (Along the lines of the PM's letter to Tusk.) (3)
The UK also wants references to the future relationship to be removed from the backstop, which the EU thinks may nullify the Joint Instrument agreed in Strasbourg by Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker earlier this year. (4)
The UK made clear it wants a "best in class" Free Trade Agreement along the lines of the EU/Canada but minus any level playing field commitments and without the dispute resolution mechanism included in the Withdrawal Agreement. (5)
Words being used: "exasperating" and "disastrous." More UK/EU meetings due tomorrow. @MichelBarnier and @SteveBarclay to speak by phone. (6)
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Adam Fleming
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @adamfleming see all

Profile picture
Adam Fleming
@adamfleming
Well well well. @MichelBarnier has written a column for the @Telegraph. It seems like a response to the @BorisJohnson letter to @eucopresident where the PM said the backstop contravened the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement. telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/… (1).
He makes the point that the backstop is designed to maintain the status quo on the island of Ireland (a point often missed in the discussion, which is dominated by the issue of avoiding checks on the border) and that it’s already quite a big ask for the EU27.(2)
As a regular Barnier watcher, when he says he’s “not optimistic” about avoiding a No Deal I don’t think he means that he’s pessimistic and it’s becoming inevitable, just that he’s realistic. He’s always avoided giving optimism/pessimism verdicts to my great annoyance. (3)
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
Adam Fleming
@adamfleming
That news conference in Berlin was frankly a bit confusing... It *sounds* like @BorisJohnson has committed to come forward with detailed alternatives to the backstop within the next 30 days, which takes us to the 19th September. (1)
Merkel has promised she’ll consider them. But the EU doesn’t think there *are* any workable alternatives, certainly not that are available in the next month. (2)
She thinks the solution lies in the future economic relationship - but only a very close UK/EU relationship will avoid the need for the backstop to come in and Johnson wants a looser one which makes the backstop *more* necessary in the EU’s eyes. Oh well, the show goes on. (3)
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
Adam Fleming
@adamfleming
As it stands NO British food products or animals could be exported to the EU in the event of a No Deal Brexit, according to EU officials. It's because the UK still hasn't passed enough legislation for the EU to recognise it as a third country. (1)
EU officials say they've been told by their British counterparts that the necessary statutory instruments will be passed by 8th April. EU experts are planning to meet on 9th and 11th April to assess the situation (2)
This is something @michaelgove warned about in a speech in February. (3)
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
EU trying to digest this morning what exactly last night means for negotiations. Le Monde article below starts with words: « Another crazy day in Brexitland » /1
EU mood the morning after the night before is bittersweet. EU leaders glad to see rejection in parliament of no deal (+ there’s thinly-veiled Schadenfreude about Johnson’s defeat. The man who EU heard saying you just need more oomph and positive thinking to make a deal..)BUT /2
EU repeats what said last time parliament voted against no deal: the only way to ban no deal is to make a deal with EU or cancel #Brexit otherwise no deal happens by default /3
Read 11 tweets
Profile picture
#UnRedactedCopy Lori
@LJT_is_me
❤️🇺🇸 Secretary Pompeo’s Travel to Belgium 🇧🇪 - United States Department of State state.gov/secretary-pomp…
❤️🇺🇸 Happy Labor Day to my very favorite Secretary of Swag 🙏 God Speed #Brussel 🇧🇪 #EU 🇪🇺
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
Nick Gutteridge
@nick_gutteridge
1/ So the new UK Govt's negotiating tactic, as revealed by @tnewtondunn, is that the EU will have to 'give us a better deal' when it comes to the crunch because otherwise Ireland is 'f*****' by No Deal. Belt up for the EU's less than impressed response. thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/97…
2/ Both Steve Barclay and David Frost have raised this very point in recent meetings with EU officials, referring to studies that show Ireland would suffer more economically from No Deal than both the rest of the EU and the UK, plus all the knock-on implications for the border.
3/ The rest of the EU's approach has essentially been to follow Ireland's lead on the backstop. One official responded to this Cabinet minister's remarks by saying they'd 'leave it up to Irish what's in their interest'. If Dublin were to soften therefore, the others would follow.
Read 16 tweets
Profile picture
Jennifer Rankin
@JenniferMerode
Brexit envoy David Frost has held meetings with senior EU officials. "These were introductory meetings as is standard practice," said EC spokes @Mina_Andreeva Commission side "reiterated the EU’s well-known position and we shall look forward to further contacts".
@Mina_Andreeva David Frost met Clara Martinez Alberola, head of JC Juncker's cabinet, Stépanie Riso of Brexit taskforce, Ilze Juhansone, acting secretary-general.
Meetings with EP were requested but did not take place, as MEPs and officials not in Brussels.
@Mina_Andreeva European commission sees "the next possible contact" at the G7 at Biarritz. Jean-Claude Juncker will meet Boris Johnson there. So nothing in the diary until end August.
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
katya adler
@BBCkatyaadler
EU-UK technical talks to find a’landing zone’ on the backstop are likely to go on throughout the week, possibly into the weekend and even Monday too /1
EU still insists it won’t touch the Withdrawal Agreement. As said many times before: it’s looking to provide assurances incl highlighting elements already in the backstop text such as the arbitration mechanism /2
Also being looked at is what’s being described as a timeline for ‘alternative arrangements’ to the backstop. Even if EU says technology doesn’t yet exist to replace the backstop, IF such technology emerges during the transition period then... /3
Read 5 tweets
Profile picture
James Holland
@James7Holland
THREAD..

..on the biggest and baddest lobbyists in EU town

..the huge influence they have on EU lawmaking

..and how many represent interests from outside the EU.

/1
According to Transparency International @TI_EU, the lobby organisation that has held the most high-level meetings at the European Commission between 2014 and 2018 is @BusinessEurope.

"BusinessEurope?!?" you ask.

/2
@TI_EU @BusinessEurope It is hardly surprising that the vast majority of people have never heard of BusinessEurope.

There is a worrying media blackout about how a complex network of organisations lobby the #EU on behalf of the world largest corporations.

/3
Read 27 tweets

Trending hashtags

#penalties #winning #EMA #Dishonesty #7Chinese #delusion #trade #Strauss #Poroshenko #Leuven #Construction #JEEPA #ECB #Obama #Iran #IsraelInterferenceInUSPolicy #Ireland #Pinchuk #Apple #NationalSecurity #German #NigeriaDecides2019 #Brexit #manufacturers #DemocraticPatience
Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!