Leo Varadkar has challenged Theresa May’s government to find a “unique solution” to the post-Brexit border on Ireland or accept a deal involving restrictions on British trade.
In a speech at Queen’s University Belfast the taoiseach suggested that a Turkey-style deal could allow the UK some access to the European Union market for certain goods if they followed rules set by Brussels. He emphasised that the British prime minister would have to ask for such an arrangement.
The taoisoeach’s first official visit to Northern Ireland yesterday was part of an attempt to find a compromise that would avoid a hard border in Ireland. In his speech he noted that 14 months had passed since the Brexit referendum and urged politicians to quicken the pace of talks and find solutions to the border issue. “Time is running out and I fear there will be no extra time allowed,” he told a large crowd, which included students, business leaders and politicians.
The taoiseach outlined solutions including his belief that a bilateral customs union could be based on one the EU has with Turkey.
Mr Varadkar said: “There are people who want a trade border between the United Kingdom and the European Union and therefore a border between Ireland and Britain and a border across this island. These people are advocates of a so-called hard Brexit.
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“I believe the onus should be on them to come up with proposals for such a border and to convince us and convince you; citizens, students, academics, farmers, business people that it’s in your interest to have these new barriers to commerce and trade.”
He said that if the UK did not want to stay in the customs union, an EU-UK customs union could be established.
“We have one with Turkey. Surely we can have one with the UK?
“If the UK does not want to stay in the single market, perhaps it could enter into a deep Free Trade Agreement with the EU and rejoin EFTA of which it was a member prior to accession. If this cannot be agreed now, then perhaps we can have a transition period during which the UK stays in the single market and customs union while these things are worked out.”
“This is the space in which agreements are made. These are the practical solutions I am proposing. These solutions will not be offered, they will have to be asked for. And this can happen only after sufficient progress is made on an agreement on the financial settlement, protecting citizens’ rights and key issues relating to Ireland such as the Common Travel Area,” he added.
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Ankara and the EU struck a deal in 1995 allowing Turkey limited access to the customs union. The deal does not cover food, agriculture, services, finance or government procurement. The quid pro quo nature of the deal means that Turkey must follow EU rules for the production of goods but has no influence on decision-making.
Unlike EU deals with Norway and Switzerland, Turkey has to align its trade policy with the union and do deals with the countries as dictated by Brussels. The solution is unlikely to find favour with the British government. Mr Varadkar, however, insists that it is an obvious option for the UK.
“I think these are realistic solutions and if we go down that route, perhaps in addition to a long transition period, I don’t think there will be a need for a border of any consequence; essentially we would be retaining the same arrangements we already have when it comes to trade” he said.
“I’m asking them [those who want to leave the single market and the customs union] to put down on paper how they think it is possible to have a technological or futuristic border that wouldn’t impact very seriously on normal life for people, businesses and farmers across Britain and Ireland. If they cannot come up with solutions then maybe they might talk about mine, because the solutions I am putting forward are workable.”
European leaders will meet in Brussels in October to discuss whether “sufficient progress” has been made to allow the next phase of the negotiations to begin on the free-trade deal London wants.
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“We are now in a very critical moment,” Mr Varadkar said. “The relationship I want between the UK and EU is the closest possible one but we need to get down to the detail of that now, lots of other people have said that too but the whole purpose of the negotiations is that we need to be putting forward detailed solutions.”
He also stressed the need for Northern Ireland’s voice to be heard before decisions are made in the autumn.
“At a time when Brexit threatens to drive a wedge between north and south we need to build more bridges and fewer borders. I promise I will play my part in helping to do exactly that,” he said.
The taoiseach also suggested that the EU may be willing to compromise over its insistence that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) oversee key elements of any future relationship, such as the rights of EU citizens in the UK,and the regulation of sectors such as aviation and nuclear power.
Mrs May’s opposition to any oversight by the ECJ has been a key stumbling block in talks.
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“At the moment the mechanism by which most European agreements are upheld is through the ECJ and the United Kingdom has indicated it no longer wishes to be part of. So we would need to develop some other mechanism,” Mr Varadkar said.