EU rejects UK backstop proposal

UK has received the reaction to the Customs backstop paper that was presented on Thursday.

At a press conference EU Brexlt Head Negotiator Michel Barnier slearly said, “The backstop cannot be extended to the whole UK”.

Further more Barnier explained, that even though te EU and its member states are ready to make exceptions on Ireland to solve the NI/ROI situation such privileges are not on offer to the rest of the UK by virtue, not of malice, but its decision to leave the union.

We will se what happens over the next two weeks.

There is still some way to go to solve this issue. My view is that the best way forward is to create the best possible Customs and Border process within the existing international legislation, this possible for EU and others to accept, but doing it in new innovative ways using a broad multi-tier trusted trader programme moving duty colelction and necessary non-tariff barriers away from the border and use modern technology for the minimum friction border crossing.

You can see the Barnier speech here: Barnier Comments Press Conference