The EU and the United Kingdom published a joint statement on Tuesday 19 June in which they speak of fresh progress on separation issues and the withdrawal agreement, notably on VAT and Euratom.
This joint statement comes at the same time as the European Council’s draft conclusions, appearing in the media and seen by EUROPE, expressed the 27 member states’ concern at the UK’s inertia on the Irish issue and the lack of progress in finding a resolution.
“The European Council expresses its concern that no substantial progress has yet been achieved on agreeing a backstop solution for Ireland/Northern Ireland”, the draft says, drawing attention to the commitments made by the United Kingdom in December 2017 and in March 2018, and stressing that efforts must be stepped up so that the withdrawal agreement, including its provisions on the transition period, can be concluded as quickly as possible.
They call on the United Kingdom to provide greater clarity on the framework of future relations. The European Council, lastly, again urges member states and all stakeholders to intensify preparatory efforts at all levels and for all outcomes.
Since 7 June, when the UK government presented its proposed safety net for the whole of the United Kingdom, which amounted to remaining in the customs union for a further year after the end of the transition period, “there has been no progress whatsoever”, a source said on Wednesday afternoon. According to a diplomatic source widely quoted in the media, the UK safety net in fact addresses only 80% of the concerns around Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Michel Barnier said the day after this solution was presented that it did not address, for example, regulatory concerns and other kinds of checks that will have to be put in place with Brexit (see EUROPE 12037).
In the meantime, the latest round of technical negotiations has brought progress on various separation issues, as the two parties acknowledged in their joint statement which lists the technical points where agreement had been reached.
“We have advanced on some separation issues for which European businesses need certainty, such as customs, VAT, Euratom and certificates for goods”, Barnier said in a press release. He also acknowledged the United Kingdom’s commitment on pending issues, such as personal data protection and geographical indications. Progress has also been made on the recognition and enforcement of judicial decisions. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)