British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet with European Commission (EC) President Urzula von der Leien to see if trade negotiations, which have been lagging behind for several months, can make a breakthrough in the three weeks before Britain leaves the EU’s single market.
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Neither Brussels nor London sound particularly promising at the moment, but the Northern Ireland agreement raises some grounds for optimism that both sides are able to compromise on key areas.
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With Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, Northern Ireland will be the UK’s only land border with the EU and must remain open under all circumstances, in accordance with the terms of the 1998 peace agreement ending 30 years of violence against British rule in the province.
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The question of how to keep the border open for trade while giving Northern Ireland full access to British territory has been one of the most difficult issues in the talks between British Minister Michael Gow and EC Vice President Maros Sheffchovich.
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Following a meeting in Brussels on Monday, the two officials confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached on the Northern Ireland border, covering the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and further to the EU single market through Ireland.
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As a result, London will waive three clauses in the bill that would have prevented Brussels from making any comments on the terms of future trade agreements between the province and Ireland.
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This, in turn, could make Johnson’s path to the EC smoother, knowing that German European Affairs Minister Michael Roth had insisted that London restore “trust and confidence” in the relationship.
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