New plan for post-Brexit border?

According to Bloomberg today, U.K. has a new proposal on the Irish border, as a June deadline looms.

The British have a new plan to kick-start Brexit talks and make progress on the Irish border issue, which is still posing the greatest risk to a final deal.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s team of negotiators have drafted a new template for how the U.K. and EU should work together on Britain’s two favored options for addressing the border question, Tim Ross, Ian Wishart and Dara Doyle report. Talks resume this week in Brussels; the EU and Ireland have both called progress on the border question by the end of June.

Speaking close to the Irish border on Monday, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier promised to work “day and night” for a solution in the weeks leading up to the June summit of EU leaders. Brexit Secretary David Davis said he agreed with Barnier on the “need to move quickly in discussions” and said the U.K. has put forward proposals.

The U.K.’s preferred solution – known as Option A – is to use a sweeping new free-trade agreement and customs deal with the EU to avoid the need for tariffs and goods checks at the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.

If this can’t be agreed in time, Option B would be to use technological solutions and “trusted trader” schemes to minimize checks on goods at the border. Two people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named, said the U.K.’s new plan involved working on options A and B together. Parts of Option B could enhance Option A, according to the plan.

The EU insists there must be a “backstop” in case the U.K.’s plans don’t work – and EU officials say in private that they expect it will end up being used as they don’t think options A or B are feasible. However, the backstop proposed by the EU so far is unacceptable to the U.K., as it would mean creating a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

Source: Bloomberg