May 'convinced' she can strike Brexit deal with EU

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday there are “a few but considerable” outstanding issues on the withdrawal agreement being negotiated with the EU.

Speaking at the end of a EU summit in Brussels, May said the remaining issues mainly concern the “Northern Ireland backstop.”

“I am committed to working with the Commission and EU leaders to resolve these as quickly as possible,” she said.

May said she has updated EU leaders about the “good progress” made since September's Salzburg meeting.

Underlining that there is a lot of “hard work ahead,” May said she is “convinced” she can strike a good deal in the interests of both Britain and the union.

Taking reporters’ questions, May said she was not proposing an extension of the implementation period, which is planned to end at the end of December 2020.

She said she was proposing a new structure for it and the "backstop" will only go into effect if there is a gap after the implementation period.

Irish border issue

When the U.K. leaves the bloc in March 2019, as scheduled, the border between Northern Ireland – a U.K. territory – and the Republic of Ireland will remain the only land border between the U.K. and EU.

The border at the moment is invisible, and people, goods and services can travel across it freely. But as the U.K. leaves the EU, the border, technically, will need some sort of checks.

Due to the sensitive nature of the region and because free passage is one of the crucial articles of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, the U.K., EU, Northern Ireland, and Ireland all reject the idea of returning to a hard border where checkpoints and customs buildings will need to be installed.

The border issue has been one of the thorniest in Brexit talks, as a solution that would be acceptable for all sides has yet to be reached.

Backstop

The main disagreement over the border issue has been over a EU-suggested backstop – keeping Northern Ireland in the EU single market and customs union until a solution is found – because it would create a sort of a border within the U.K. in the Irish Sea.

May has said they would not give into any solution that would divide the U.K.

Northern Ireland’s biggest political party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has said it would not agree on any final deal that would separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K.

The DUP’s support is crucial for the continuation of May’s government after her party lost its majority in parliament following a snap election last year, after which the Tories and the DUP signed a confidence-and-supply deal which effectively makes the DUP the guarantor that the Conservatives stay in power.

What next?

British and EU leaders are expected to continue discussions to advance further in talks to avoid a no-deal scenario.

May will almost certainly face a domestic impasse back home as up to 40 Tory MPs signaled last week that they would trigger a vote of no confidence against her as they think she will not deliver a Brexit that people voted for.

They particularly are against the idea of leaving the country anchored to EU rules and laws without any say in the EU’s decision-making mechanisms.

She will also face reservations from the DUP over any possible concession regarding the backstop that the EU says is needed for a final deal.

The U.K. is set to leave the EU in March 2019.