Text of new Brexit agreement published.
These are the revisions to the withdrawal agreement. The rest of the agreement as negotiated by Theresa May still stands.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/revised_withdrawal_agreement_including_protocol_on_ireland_and_nothern_ireland.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/oct/17/eu-leaders-gather-for-summit-as-boris-johnson-scrambles-to-get-backing-for-brexit-deal-politics-live
Barnier confirms DUP has lost its veto over whether new Northern Ireland arrangements come into force
Barnier switches to speaking in English (he was speaking in French) and turns to the one aspect of the agreement the UK wanted to reopen - the backstop.
He says the EU wanted to keep the border open, preserve the all-island economy and protect the integrity of the single market.
And it was important for Boris Johnson to keep NI in the UK customs territory.
He says the talks have “at times been difficult”.
But they have a deal, with four parts.
Second, NI will remain in the UK’s customs territory. It will therefore benefit from UK trade policy. But it will remain an entry point into the single market. So UK authorities will apply UK tariffs to countries coming from third countries as long as goods entering NI are not at risk of entering the single market. If they are at risk of entering the single market, EU tariffs will apply.
Third, on VAT, the plan will maintain the integrity of the single market, while respecting the UK’s digital wishes.
And, fourth, there will be a consent mechanism. Four years after the arrangements starts, the Northern Ireland assembly will decide by a simple majority if these arrangements stay.
Barnier confirms that the DUP will lose its veto on whether the new arrangements come into force. Under the plan proposed by Boris Johnson earlier this month, the new plan for NI would only have taken affect subject to a vote in the assembly - which the DUP would have been able to veto.
