EU 'ready to improve' Irish border deal

12:36 • 19.09.18
Event

The EU is "ready to improve" its offer on the Irish border, Michel Barnier has said as he warned the "moment of truth" was nearing for Brexit negotiations.


The UK and EU both want to avoid a hard border - meaning any physical infrastructure like cameras or guard posts - but can't agree on how, BBC News reports.


The EU's negotiator has now shifted his tone, saying he is ready to offer new proposals to help break the deadlock.


It comes as Theresa May tries to win support for her plans from EU leaders.


The UK prime minister will use a dinner in Salzburg on Wednesday to sell her strategy - the so-called Chequers plan - for future co-operation with the EU to the bloc's 27 other leaders.


After Brexit, the 310 mile border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will become the UK's border with the EU.


At the moment, thousands of people cross it every day for both work and pleasure - as do goods, like food and medicines, being delivered across the two countries.


As part of the EU single market and customs union, these products do not need to be checked for customs and standards, but when the UK leaves these two arrangements, this all changes.


Nobody wants a hard border for the checks - in fact the 1998 Good Friday agreement, which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland, got rid of security checks as part of the deal, and police in Northern Ireland have warned reinstating them could make crossings targets for violence.


But there is no agreement between the UK and EU, or between Leavers and Remainers, about the answer.


Privately, EU officials say those checks could be carried out by British or EU officials, or by health inspectors rather than customs officials, to "de-dramatise" the border issue.


Mrs May has insisted there needs to be "friction-free movement of goods", with no customs or regulatory checks, between Northern Ireland and the Republic, in order to avoid a hard border there.

 

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