British PM May to Visit Brussels Seeking Brexit Deal – Reuters

By William James and Gabriela Baczynska

LONDON/BRUSSELS – Prime Minister Theresa May plans to travel to Brussels on Thursday to urge European Union leaders to accept legally binding modifications to the Irish border arrangements outlined in Britain’s withdrawal agreement. She asserts that without these changes, the UK may face a chaotic exit from the EU without a deal.

With only 52 days remaining until the UK is scheduled to leave the EU, tensions between London and Brussels are rising over the potential alterations to the deal originally struck in November. This scenario raises the prospects of a Brexit delay, a last-minute agreement, or a no-deal exit.

Following British lawmakers’ rejection of the withdrawal agreement last month, Parliament has directed May to address the most contentious aspect of the deal, which serves as a safety net for future arrangements regarding the border between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland.

During her visit to Brussels, May will meet with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke at a conference in Tokyo, stating, "From a political point of view, there is still time. That should be used by all sides. It is important to clarify what the British side envisions regarding its relationship with the EU."

On a recent trip to Belfast, May sought to reassure the people of Northern Ireland that she could facilitate an orderly Brexit, thus ensuring continued peace in a region impacted by three decades of sectarian conflict, which was resolved to an extent by a 1998 agreement.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has supported May’s government since she lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election in 2017, emphasizes the need to replace the controversial backstop component of the deal.

DUP leader Arlene Foster described the current backstop as "toxic" for Northern Ireland during an interview and indicated her desire to reach a deal while expressing concerns about the existing backstop provision.

Foster did not specify whether the deal needed to be renegotiated or if she would accept legally binding assurances instead. "If the backstop is addressed in the withdrawal agreement, then despite any apprehensions we might have about other elements, we will support the Prime Minister because we want Brexit to proceed in an orderly manner," she stated.

The UK, Ireland, and the EU all aim to prevent the reintroduction of physical checks at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland—a situation that had been alleviated following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Currently, with no controls in place, the border is open as both the UK and Ireland are part of the EU. However, following the Brexit process, the EU is concerned about the risk of the 310-mile (500-km) border acting as an unregulated entry point into the EU.

In an effort to avoid a hard border, both Brussels and London agreed to a backstop arrangement, which is essentially a commitment that if a better alternative is not found, the UK would remain subject to EU market and customs regulations to prevent necessary checks on goods.

This backstop has emerged as the most contentious issue in the rejected deal within Britain. The DUP believes it could undermine Northern Ireland’s status within the UK, while Brexit proponents in May’s Conservative Party fear it might bind the country to EU regulations in perpetuity.

May has informed senior British ministers that she intends to pursue changes that would prevent the UK from being indefinitely tethered to the backstop.

According to chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier, while the divorce deal and the Irish backstop will not be reopened for negotiation, alternative solutions could be considered post-Brexit.

The EU exhibits little enthusiasm for a no-deal Brexit. As Brussels awaits the UK’s plans, diplomats within the EU seem to increasingly anticipate a potential delay to Brexit, originally scheduled for March 29.

An EU diplomat working on Brexit commented, "It could be just a few weeks, extending to late May or early July. While we do not know if this would lead to any substantial progress, it would grant us some additional time."