Barnier: 3 serious concerns about UK proposals: checks on goods on the island of Ireland; the UK is asking us to accept there will be controls spread out across Ireland, based on exemptions and tech yet to be developed, but none of the guarantees set out in backstop
Barnier: secondly we need legally operable solutions; thru backstop safety net is legally operable in force till we find another solution; by taking that safety net away we don't have the same sense of security; what happens if Joint Committee can't find a solution?
Barnier: thirdly, consent/Stormont: we are looking at more important role for Stormont, but UK proposal simply gives the NI authorities a unilateral option not to activate the solution the day after ratification, + every four years call it into question.
