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Ireland says Britain could have to stay part of EU for 4 years after Brexit deal agreed
Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, with Simon Coveney, his deputy.
James Crisp, Brussels Correspondent
27 September 2019 • 3:24pm
James Crisp
Ireland's deputy prime minister has said that even if a Brexit deal is agreed, Britain will have to remain part of the EU's single market and customs union for up to four years to allow time to negotiate a free trade agreement.
Simon Coveney said there had been no "serious proposal" from Britain to break the Brexit deadlock over the Irish backstop and that "significant gaps" remained between the two sides after meeting with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, in Brussels.
Mr Coveney said that if there was a deal, a transition period of two to four years would be needed to negotiate a free trade agreement between the UK and the EU. That could mean Britain does not truly leave the EU until 2023.
The transition period deep-freezes Britain's EU membership, potentially keeping it effectively in the bloc, but without voting rights, until 2023.
While the UK can negotiate free trade deals in that time, it can't sign them until the period is over and Britain will have to accept all EU rules for as long as it lasts.
"A transition period for the next two to four years - that creates time and space to hopefully design a future relationship that's good for everybody," Mr Coveney said, "but until there's a deal done, until there's a Withdrawal Agreement agreed that can't happen".
"Until there's a serious proposal in writing that can be the basis for a negotiation then the gaps that are wide at the moment will remain," he said.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has also warned the trade talks could drag on beyond the current date of the end of 2020, even if there is a deal. British officials insist trade talks will be faster.
"These agreements have sometimes taken many years. It is not clear why this could be faster, " he said, " It is not clear why this could be faster with Britain."
Jean-Claude Juncker and Boris Johnson Credit: Rex
EU diplomatic sources have rubbished British hopes of making a breakthrough at the EU summit on October 17, ahead of the October 31 no deal deadline.
Four British non-papers have been criticised for falling far short of what is needed to replace the backstop, which puts the UK in a bare bones customs union with the EU to prevent a hard border.
"There cannot be an agreement on a Withdrawal Agreement until there's a serious proposal brought forward from the British side which we simply haven't seen yet and as a result the two sides are quite a long way apart in my view," Mr Coveney said.
He added, "Time is running out we need to move this process on but really the onus is on the British prime minister and his team to allow that to happen by putting serious proposals on the table."
Mr Coveney said that if a deal could not be done before the October 31 deadline the focus would shift to a Brexit extension, which must be unanimously approved by all 27 member states and requested by the UK.
"From an Irish perspective we of course think an extension is preferable to no deal but I think there would need to be good reason behind that ask for an extension," he said.
Mr Barnier is meeting Stephen Barclay, the UK Brexit secretary, to gauge progress after technical talks between officials this week in Brussels.
A UK spokesman said, "There is still a lot of work to do but there is a common purpose to secure a deal and a deal is doable.
"We will continue to work with energy and determination to deliver a deal that is in the interests of the UK and the EU as we move forward to a strong future relationship, and we hope the EU will show the same resolve," he added.
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