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BRITAIN AND THE European Union have reached a landmark deal on transition arrangements that will last for nearly two years after the Brexit divorce next year.
EU negotiator Michel Barnier told a press conference in Brussels after negotiations with his British counterpart David Davis: ”We have reached an agreement on the transition period.
“The transition will be of limited duration.”
Backstop
As part of the withdrawal text (which can be read here), Britain and the EU agreed on the so-called ‘backstop’ solution for the Irish border – unless or until another solution is found.
Under this option, Northern Ireland will remain in “full alignment” with the EU’s single market and customs union in order to uphold the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
The backstop would, most significantly, see a commitment to no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The UK had already assured that there would not be a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit – it just hadn’t come up with a solution for leaving the single market and customs union but not having border checks.
The backstop option would mean alignment between the north and south for customs, VAT, energy, regulations for the protection of the environment and laws governing agriculture and fisheries. Northern Ireland would also have to adhere to EU rules on State Aid and would be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in those aforementioned areas.
The backstop agreement was known as ‘Option C’ with regard to the Northern Irish border – one of three options laid out in the Joint Report agreed by the UK and the EU in December.
It was not an option DUP leader Arlene Foster was happy with at the time:
Arlene Foster / TwitterEU draft text is constitutionally unacceptable & would be economically catastrophic for Northern Ireland. I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment that HMG will not allow any new border in the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland must have unfettered access to GB market. AF
— Arlene Foster DBE PC #ProudofNI. (@ArleneFosterUK) February 28, 2018
At today’s press conference, the EU’s Brexit negotiator David Davis said that the UK and EU are committed to the draft report in keeping with the commitment to include a legal text detailing the solutions for the border in the north.
“But it remains our interest to achieve a partnership that is so close so as not to require specific measures for Northern Ireland,” he said, reiterating the need to avoid a hard border but to include some elements of the common travel area.
“The UK government remains steadfast in its commitment to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic,” he said, mentioning this tweet from Simon Coveney earlier today:
Simon Coveney / TwitterGood meeting with @MichelBarnier again this morning - #Brexit negotiations are moving forward - progress on Irish issues remains a key priority for both negotiating teams and solidarity with our EU partners remains strong. pic.twitter.com/JgN9xZe828
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) March 19, 2018
“While there is as yet no agreement on the right … approach we know what we need to do and we are going to get on with it,” said Davis.
He said the government is confident that “a good deal for the UK and EU is closer than ever before”.
The new text of the withdrawal agreement produced by both sides says the transition will last from the day Britain leaves on March 29, 2019 to December 31, 2020.
“During that period, the United Kingdom will no longer participate in the European Union decision making process, because after that date it will no longer be a member of the EU,” Barnier said.
Nevertheless it will preserve the benefits, the advantages of the single market and the customs union… and will therefore be required to respect all the European rules just like all member states do.
Davis told the news conference that the transition deal “gives the certainty demanded by businesses and citizens across Britain and the European Union.”
- Additional reporting © AFP, 2018
How horrendous. It must be so awful to be so dependent and let down again and again. How heartless would you have to be to drive away from a blind person and their dog?
@Elaine Phelan: Driver should have an interview with the Taxi Regulator as to explain why passenger and guide dog were refused Service in a public service vehicle.
We are such a selfish uncaring society. l really feel for people who have disabilities and know what it is like being a parent with a child (now adult) with learning difficulties. People are so cruel and have no empathy and as for getting help – forget it it does not exist. Everything is done on a shoestring. It is only when you are faced with this problem you very soon realise there is very little support.
Only wheelchair plates have been issued for years now, so I don’t think it’s a shortage, Citroen Berlingos, Peugeot partners everywhere all wheelchair accessible plates NTA need to look at the bookings these new plates are supposed to have taken, as is what the plate was issued in the first place for!
If some taxi refused to wheelchair & guide dog then big fine and remove taxi licence finish them
Get a guide dog or any dog in your car and you’ll be spending 20 minutes hoovering dog hairs and spraying fabreeze
@Eugene Kelly: not a good enough excuse to deny a guide dog.
Refusal without a confirmed exception should result in loosing a license. End of.
@Eugene Kelly: that is not any sort of excuse and when I take my dog in the car I simply throw down a newspaper for her to lie on so that her hairs don’t stick to the carpet. Problem solved.
@Eugene Kelly: I would have thought it takes more than a bottle of fabreze to eradicate the evidence of some Friday night punters.
A pretty lame excuse anyway, because during these Covid times you should be sanitising the vehicle reqularly.
@Eugene Kelly: wow is that right 20 mins that is terrible.
@Eugene Kelly: so what? That’s a reason to refuse service??? What’s wrong with you?
There was A taxi company set up that specialised in wheelchair accessible taxis they had over 250 on their books but they closed after two years due to lack of business. The problem with taking is a Dog is they do leave a mess which the driver has to clean up because if dog hair gets on the next passenger they would probably complain about the dirt of the taxi so some drivers are dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t. If the government really wanted to deal with this issue they could make every taxi wheelchair accessible by 2025 and by doing that this could remove the VAT and the vet off the vehicles and give drivers a few years lead in time. As a taxi driver for 27 years I have probably carried about 3 Dogs and have put loads of wheelchairs into the boot.
@james cullen: nope, just (rightly) criticised if you don’t. Potential dog hair (not all shed) is a stupendously thin excuse for this kind of behaviour.
The Jurinal
@Dermot Mc Carthy: Are you a TIB or a SIB ? i know you’re one! thick, i……t, illegitimate)
So no positive experiences?
“Fines ranging from €40 to €80 were issued….” This is an example of a lack of misunderstanding that seems very common amongst various authorities in our country.
That being that there will be a certain section of the population, like in every country, who wrong. In response to that the punishment, has to be *worse* than doing the right thing.
Those fines will not change behaviour, nor adequately punish.
Much like fining drivers who drive with no insurance, often 150 euro, generally vastly below what people who are doing the right thing pay.
Steal, cheat, injure? Don’t worry, the punishments handed out, in rare cases of being caught, are so inadequate that if you put decency to one side, it’s a no brainer to carry on being a pr**k.
This happened to me a few years ago when out with an elderly and disabled Aunt of mine. Asked the taxi on the rank to take us a short distance and he didn’t want to do it. I berated him for it and ended up having to say we would pay a min fare of that’s what it took. I don’t mind fighting on her behalf but nobody in her position should have to do that!
Lots of taxi drivers don’t want to take credit or debit cards either ~~ and those that do are using an off shore app ~~ Its a great little island !
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