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Plans for special Brexit summit in November officially scrapped - EU official

The EU has dropped plans for a special Brexit summit next month because not enough progress has b...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.51 17 Oct 2018


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Plans for special Brexit summi...

Plans for special Brexit summit in November officially scrapped - EU official

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.51 17 Oct 2018


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The EU has dropped plans for a special Brexit summit next month because not enough progress has been made in the negotiations, according to an official.

Leaders have agreed to reconsider the decision if chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier reports a breakthrough in the coming weeks.

It comes after the UK Prime Minister addressed the heads of the remaining European governments ahead of a working dinner at the EU Summit in Brussels this evening.

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Theresa May left her European counterparts to consider their next steps following her 15 minute speech.

This evening, Antonio Tajani, the president of the European Parliament – who was in the room for the speech – said Mrs May had not revealed anything "substantially new."

The tone of the meeting was said to have been positive, however it is understood the deadlock over the Irish border remains.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met with Mrs May in private for half an hour before the pair joined their European counterparts - with sources describing the tone as positive.

He said the Government will not be deviating on what it wants from these talks.

“There must be a legally operative backstop that ensures there won’t be a hard border on the island of Ireland,” he said.

 “As the EU and the UK agreed in writing back in March it must apply ‘unless and until.’

“It can be temporary by all means but it can’t have an expiry date. It can only be temporary unless and until we have an alternative agreement.”

Speaking on her way into the summit this evening, Theresa May said “considerable progress” had been made in the talks since the last time leaders met in Salzburg.

She admitted that there a still differences of opinion on the Irish border issue but insisted that “by working intensively and closely we can achieve that deal.”

“By working intensively over the next days and weeks I believe we can achieve a deal,” she said.

“A deal that I believe everybody wants and a deal that is in the interest not just of the EU but also of the EU.”

Special summit

A number of leaders had already expressed their reservations at plans for a special summit - and earlier, Mr Varadkar said it should only be called if a deal is within reach.

“We have a summit scheduled in December anyway and we will have to make a decision as to whether or not we will have an extra summit in November,” he said.

“We will need to discuss that among the 27 over dinner.

“My view is that we should really only have one if there is a purpose in having one.

“I don’t think we should call a summit just to talk.

“We should be having a summit in November either to sign off on a deal or to build up preparations for a no-deal scenario is that is necessary.”

Transition

Speaking on his way into the summit, the Taoiseach warned that a legally binding backstop preventing a hard border in Ireland would have to be agreed before any move to extend the Brexit transition period.

“I have always been of the view that it could easily take two years or more to negotiate a new EU/UK treaty, covering everything from the economy to trade to security,” he said.

“That could easily take more than two years and of course it would have to be ratified by 28 parliaments.

“So there is merit in discussing the idea of a longer transition but that can’t be an alternative to a backstop in Ireland – certainly not, it would have to be as well as.

“But if it did help to reassure people that the backstop would never be activated – well that would be a positive thing.”

The transition period will see the UK effectively remaining in the EU Customs Union and Single Market for 21 months after it leaves next March.

European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has opened the door to a possible one-year extension.

The extension would be in return for the agreement of a "two-tier" backstop – with the UK as a whole following EU rules for limited time period and Northern Ireland following them “unless and until” a new can be struck.

 

Twenty-eight heads of state and government from across the EU are attending the summit.

On Thursday, EU leaders will focus on migration, internal security and external relations.

This will be followed by a Euro Summit on economic and financial issues.

With reporting from Sean Defoe in Brussels


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