Brussels, August 30: The European Union (EU) has on Friday insisted it’s doors remain open to any credible or concrete Brexit proposals from the United Kingdom (UK) government led by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on alternatives offers to replace the Irish border Backstop agreement.
A spokesperson for the bloc executive told a midday media conference, “We have always said that our doors remain open,” according to Reuters news reports.
The spokesperson also added, “Our position remains that we will need to first see concrete proposals from the UK government … whether digital or on paper.”
Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney on Friday said the UK government hasn’t yet made any credible or concrete proposals over replacing an arrangement on the Irish border “backstop” under its Brexit Deal with the EU.
But British transport secretary Grant Shapps on Friday slammed Ireland and other European Union (EU) nations for suggesting London has not yet made any, saying, Britain has made replacement offers for the Irish border backstop.
When asked about claims by Ireland’s Coveney that the UK had not proposed any “credible” and concrete alternative to replace the Irish backstop deal, Shapps told Sky News: “It’s just not true.”
“We are putting forward alternatives,” he said. “So it’s a cover when they keep saying: ‘You are not putting forward ideas’ – we are putting forward ideas.”
London said the EU and British Brexit negotiators are expected to hold twice-weekly dialogues next month to rearrange the Withdrawal Agreement, which was dismissed repeatedly in the UK parliament over opposition to the Irish backstop.
Britain is slated to withdraw from the EU on October 31 – something which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would withdraw with or without an arrangement in line with the bloc to settle the withdrawal.
“We all want to get a deal but, at the moment, nothing credible has come from the UK government in terms of alternatives to the backstop,” Coveney told journalists on his arrival for dialogues his EU officials. “There is no country that wants a deal more than Ireland”.
“But that deal has to be based on the Withdrawal Agreement and has to be consistent with that,” he added.
Johnson said the nation must have the Backstop deal – a process that would allow Ireland to keep open its sensitive border open after Brexit Deal by tying the UK wth EU trading rules, removed in order to convince the British parliament to approve the withdrawal deal.
“If there are alternatives to the backstop that do the same job, well then let’s hear them. And if we can work out a deal on that basis, so be it,” Coveney said. “But it’s got to be credible.”
Also read:
- Boris Johnson offers no ‘credible’ replacement for Irish Backstop deal: Ireland FM Simon Coveney
- UK debunks Ireland, EU claims; says Britain has replacement offers for Irish backstop deal