BRUSSELS - Brussels and London have agreed to temporarily keep Britain in the customs union within the European Union after BRICEST, to avoid the border between Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom and the Union Republic of Ireland, the Sunday Times reported.
British Prime Minister Teresa Mae received concessions from Brussels that allow her to "keep the whole of the UK" in the customs union until a new business relationship is reached with the European Union after the forthcoming BRICEST in late March 2019, the newspaper quoted unnamed high-level sources as saying. .
This situation avoids the restoration of the effective border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which could weaken the 1998 peace agreement and end three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
It is also possible to avoid the creation of a "safety net" proposed by the European Union and to keep Northern Ireland only in the Customs Union and the Single Market, if no other solution is found.
London considers this proposal unacceptable because it does not want to deal with Northern Ireland in a different way from the rest of the country.
The Teresa Mai circles did not confirm in response to an AFP question, the information reported by the newspaper as "speculating," but indicated that the negotiations were going "well".
According to the new agreement, the EU will agree to conduct checks of goods in factories and shops rather than on the border, according to the newspaper.
It also provides Britain with an "exit clause" from the customs union to reassure Brikst supporters, who want clear ties with the union, on the issue of temporary status and to rally their support for a possible separation deal when it is put to a vote in December.
The issue of the Irish border is one of the main obstacles to reaching a separation agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The parties have not yet been able to agree on the issue of keeping the border open on the Irish island. This could lead to Britain leaving the Union without a final agreement.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Covigny and British Prime Minister David Leidington said Friday that Dublin and London were "very close" to reaching an agreement on the issue of borders.
