Ireland a ‘fruitful’ subject in slow moving Brexit talks

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator has described talks with his British counterpart on the subject of Ireland as "fruitful".

Michel Barnier was speaking after the the third and latest round of discussions on Britain’s EU departure which he said yielded no “decisive progress”.

“Over the course of this week we have made a number of useful clarification on a number of points, for instance the status of border workers,” he told a joint news conference with Britain’s Brexit minister David Davis. “However, we did not get any decisive progress on any of the principle subjects, even though on the discussion we had about Ireland - that discussion was fruitful.”

Mr Barnier scolded London for demanding the “impossible” - including having a say on the EU’s single market rules while being outside of it - in a series of position papers the British government released last week.

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He said both sides disagreed again on Thursday on the EU’s demand, firmly rejected by Britain, that the European Court of Justice must be allowed to police the enforcement of rights of EU citizens residing in Britain after Brexit, and vice versa.

“In July, the UK recognised that it has (financial) obligations beyond the Brexit date,” Mr Barnier said. “But this week the UK explained that its obligations will be limited to their last payment to the EU budget before their departure.

“Yet we have joint obligations to third partners... After this week it’s clear that UK does not feel legally obliged to honour these obligations after departure.”

‘Uncertainty’

Mr Barnier made clear the EU’s and Britain’s positions on Brexit remained so far apart there was little chance the EU would agree to start talks about its future relationship with London as had originally been expected in October.

“Which such uncertainty - how can we build trust and discuss future relationship?” he said.

“We are quite far from being able to say that sufficient progress has taken place, sufficient for me to be able to recommend to the European Council that it engage in discussions on the future relationship between the UK and EU.”

However, Mr Davis said: “This week we have had long and detailed discussions across multiple areas and I think it’s fair to say we have seen some concrete progress, and Michel referred to one but there’s more than that.

“However, as I said at the start of the week, it’s only through flexibility and imagination that we will achieve a deal that works truly for both sides. “In some areas we have found this from the Commission’s side, which I welcome, but there remains some way to go.”

Mr Davis said the UK had presented its legal analysis on the financial settlement it must pay on leaving the EU. “The Commission has set out its position and we have a duty to our taxpayers to interrogate it rigorously.

“At this round we presented our legal analysis, on on-budget issues, on off-budget issues, and on the EIB — European Investment Bank.

“It’s fair to say across the piece we have a very different legal stance, but as we said in the Article 50 letter the settlement should be in accordance with law and in the spirit of the UK’s continuing partnership with the EU.”

Agencies