The House of Commons will vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal tomorrow.
President of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has issued a letter to British Prime Minister Theresa May clarifying certain crucial elements of the withdrawal agreement, including issues around the border in Ireland.
In the letter, which is also signed by President of the European Council Donald Tusk, several points of contention are addressed by the EU.
A large chunk of the letter deals with the Irish border and the broader question of Ireland's status as it will be affected by Brexit.
Primarily, the letter confirms that no Brexit agreement will "supersede the provisions" of the Good Friday Agreement. The EU also emphasise that they are not interested in a permanent backstop, which will involve Northern Ireland's regulatory alignment with the EU — a major sticking point for the DUP.
The letter states the EU's intention to quickly replace the backstop with a trade deal that would include provisions eradicating the need for a hard border between the two countries. Similarly, the letter stipulates that a backstop would not include regulatory alignment beyond what is absolutely necessary to facilitate frictionless trade and movement across the Irish border.
The letter also offers the UK the option of extending the transition period — which is currently set to elapse on 29 March of this year.
May has repeatedly said that the UK will be leaving the EU on that date.
https://twitter.com/JunckerEU/status/1084767077892804608
Ireland's Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has weighed in on today's letter, saying: "Very clear and strong letter from @JunckerEU and @eucopresident offering clarity, support and a positive commitment to work with UK in the interests of both EU and UK through #Brexit."
The letter comes ahead of the House of Commons vote on the withdrawal agreement tomorrow (15 January). Parliament is expected to reject the deal, increasing the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.
