Why The EU Can't Accept Johnson's Proposal, MEP Tells Eddie Mair

3 October 2019, 18:10

A Member of the EU Brexit Steering Committee tells Eddie Mair why the EU can't accept Boris Johnson's Brexit proposal.

Member of the EU Brexit Steering Committee Danuta Hübner said that they are not satisfied with the proposal, but happy that there is one.

"But it is not a proposal that is producing what we think is extremely important legal certainty" on what would happen the moment the UK leaves the European Union on October 31st.

Hübner continued that as the negotiations will go on during a transitional period after this date, there will be no legal certainty on whether or not a hard border will be put in place in Ireland.

She said: "It is not a solution that is meeting our expectation of safeguards for the Irish border and the future agreement."

"It might be a starting point but it would require big changes to meet the most important criteria on the EU side," she said.

Eddie asked: "What needs to change as far as you're concerned?"

Hübner said that the EU could not accept the Irish border arrangements that Johnson has put forward, despite it being more "democratic" than a hard border.

She said the reason was that "we don't have this clear vision of frictionless trade on this island of Ireland" and "the integrity of the single market" is not met which means, fundamentally, the "EU's criteria is not really met."

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