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Boris Johnson is preparing for 10 days of \u201cintensive discussions\u201d as he seeks backing from EU leaders for his Brexit blueprint.<\/p>\nBoris Johnson is preparing for 10 days of \u201cintensive discussions\u201d as he seeks backing from EU leaders for his Brexit blueprint.<\/p>\n
The British Prime Minister has said he wants to get an agreement in place for the EU summit on October 17, paving the way for Britain to leave with a deal at the end of the month.<\/p>\n
With the agenda for such meetings generally set several days in advance, he acknowledged there was \u201cvery little time\u201d left.<\/p>\n
So far, however, European leaders have reacted coolly to the plan, set out in a letter to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday, to resolve the issue of the backstop.<\/p>\n
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was worse than Theresa May\u2019s three-times rejected deal and warned Mr Johnson appeared to intent on a no-deal break on October 31.<\/p>\n
The British Prime Minister will update the Cabinet, back from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, on the way ahead when it meets today in Downing Street.<\/p>\n
He has already spoken to Mr Juncker, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with more talks expected with other leaders over the coming days.<\/p>\n
Mr Johnson said his plan, which would see Northern Ireland remain tied to EU single market rules for trade in goods while leaving the customs union with the rest of the UK, represented a \u201cfair and reasonable compromise\u201d.<\/p>\n
However both Mr Juncker and Mr Varadkar expressed concern the return of customs controls \u2013 however light-touch \u2013 threatened the guarantee under the Good Friday agreement to maintain an open border.<\/p>\n
The commission president said there were some \u201cproblematic points\u201d while Mr Varadkar said the proposals \u201cdo not fully meet the agreed objectives\u201d of the backstop.<\/p>\n
Nationalists in Northern Ireland also expressed anger over a proposal requiring the suspended Stormont Assembly to approve the new arrangements, with a vote every four years.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in said that it would effectively hand a veto to Mr Johnson\u2019s allies, the DUP, who have a majority in the assembly.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, the arrangements would kick in in 2021 at the end of the proposed transition period if there was no long-term trade agreement at that point and would continue until one was in place.<\/p>\n
An accompanying explanatory note said a system of declarations for goods traded between the North and the Republic meant only a \u201cvery small proportion\u201d would be subject to physical customs checks.<\/p>\n
When they were necessary, it said that they would take place well away from the border, at the traders\u2019 premises or other designated locations.<\/p>\n
At the same time the plan proposes a \u201czone of regulatory compliance\u201d covering the entire island of Ireland, tying the North to EU rules for the trade in manufactured goods and agri-food products.<\/p>\n
While it would mean such trades could continue across the border without regulatory controls, products moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK \u2013 including livestock \u2013 would be subject to checks.<\/p>\n
In his letter to Juncker, Mr Johnson said the proposals were \u201centirely compatible\u201d with the maintenance of an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth sides now need to consider whether there is sufficient willingness to compromise and move beyond existing positions to get us to an agreement in time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are ready to do that, and this letter sets out what I regard as a reasonable compromise: the broad landing zone in which I believe a deal can begin to take shape.\u201d<\/p>\n