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There should be “no backsliding from past commitments”, including arrangements for a backstop between the north and south of Ireland, in Brexit negotiations, according to the European Parliament.
The parliament’s Brexit steering group (BSG) reminded the UK of commitments that prime minister Theresa May had made in a letter to European Parliament president Donald Tusk in March this year.
The letter outlined how a backstop must avoid a hard border between the north and south of Ireland, protect the Good Friday Agreement and safeguard trading operations between both jurisdictions.
Failure to come up with a backstop arrangement that will be acceptable to both negotiating parties could result in a hard Brexit scenario, where the UK will crash out of the single market.
It will be impossible for the European Parliament to give its consent to the withdrawal agreement
With the UK providing the biggest market for Irish and Northern Irish agricultural produce, there is serious concern growing in the farming community that trade will be hit.
“It is incumbent on the UK that it no longer postpone coming forward with its own workable and legally operative proposal for a backstop,” the statement from the Parliament said.
“The BSG stresses that without a credible, genuine and operational backstop, it will be impossible for the European Parliament to give its consent to the withdrawal agreement.”
Negotiating a border
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stressed that Ireland does not want to see a hard border scenario.
"As far as the Irish Government is concerned, we don’t want any barriers to trade or a border, north-south or east-west," the Taoiseach said at the opening of a new feed mill in Drinagh Co-op on 20 July.
"Obviously, the best way that that can be avoided is if the UK, including Northern Ireland, stays in the single market and the customs union. They’ve decided that they don’t want to do that, so we need to come up with an alternative."
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