UK govt forced to defend Brexit customs union plan as critics deride 'fantasy' proposals
The British government on Wednesday was forced to defend its policy on its customs plans post-Brexit after they were described as “fantasy” by a key EU official.
In the first of a series of position papers, the government put forward two options on how border arrangements would work when it leaves the EU customs union in March 2019.
According to the document, the UK would try to agree either a "highly streamlined" border with the EU, or a new partnership arrangement with no boundaries. It wanted to see an deal that created “frictionless trade”
The customs union allows goods to travel across the EU free of tariffs and checks. The sticking point will be the Britain's insistence that it can strike trade deals with non-EU states.
Under one option, Britain would "continue some existing arrangements we have with the EU, reduce or remove barriers to trade through new arrangements, and adopt technology-based solutions to make it easier for businesses to comply with customs procedures".
A second option would be a new customs partnership " by aligning our approach to the customs border in a way that removes the need for a UK-EU customs border. One potential approach would involve the UK mirroring the EU’s requirements for imports from the rest of the world where the final destination is the EU".
EU Parliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt was scathing of the UK plan.
"To be in & out of the customs union & 'invisible borders' is a fantasy. First need to secure citizens rights & a financial settlement," he said.
Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire said the government’s proposal was realistic. “I don’t accept that...is a fantasy,” he told the BBC.
On Wednesday Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out checks on people or goods crossing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic after Brexit.
The government's second position paper rejected any hard border arrangements, CCTV cameras or number plate recognition systems.
Around 80% per cent of businesses on the island would also be entirely exempt from any new tariffs post-Brexit, in an effort to solve issues about customs arrangements post-Brexit.