UK and EU ‘close to a breakthrough’ on Irish border

A solution could be more devolution to the Northern Ireland executive

Irish PM Leo Varadkar has demanded concessions in writing (Reuters)

British and the European Union negotiators are close to a breakthrough on the deadlocked issue of the Irish border, according to reports.

The Times newspaper cites sources in Dublin saying there had been “movement” ahead of the deadline 14 December European Council meeting, where the future of talks will be decided.

British officials are said to have suggested further devolution of power to the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive in order to prevent regulatory divergence between the north and the Republic.

The proposed solution is complicated by the fact that the Northern Ireland executive does not currently have a government to consult on the deal because of the breakdown of power-sharing talks following recent elections.

The European Parliament and Commission have suggested that NI could stay in the customs union and that customs checks could instead of carried out at Irish sea ports when travelling to Britain.

The new proposal appears to meet this idea half way – in contrast to a previous UK plan based on an open border policed by spot checks.

The Irish border question has provoked a number of responses from across the political spectrum. Earlier this week Conservative MEP Charles Tannock suggested in the European Parliament that the province could be given a second referendum on whether it should stay in the customs union or not.

Prior to that, Ukip's Brexit spokesperson Gerard Batten had suggested that Britain should threaten a "subservient" and "weak" Ireland with new border controls if it did not give in to the UK's demands. He was quick disowned by his European Parliament group leader, who wrote off the policy suggestion as a series of "late-night tweets".

The Irish issue has eclipsed the financial settlement in recent weeks as the main barrier to “sufficient progress” in the European Council. Irish PM Leo Varadkar has demanded a written assurance from the UK had there will be no return to a hard border, which both sides have said they want to avoid.

Reports out of Brussels earlier this week suggested that progress had been made on the financial settlement, with a roughly 50 billion euros payment apparently agreed in principle.

The lack of progress on the issue of citizens’ rights has however angered the European Parliament, whose Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt yesterday said MEPs from across the house remained “deeply concerned” at the lack of assurances.