The Barnier ’s chief Michel Barnier negotiator, Brexit , has said that no withdrawal agreement for the UK will be made without a “backstop” option for the Republic of Ireland , whereby the Republic of Ireland – or the UK – remains in a common regulatory area with the EU in order to prevent a hard border. "To be clear: without a backstop, there can be no withdrawal agreement," said Mr Barnier. EU said that the border is an EU problem, not just an Irish issue, and that the UK government had already agreed to a backstop option.
The Barnier ’s chief Michel Barnier negotiator, Brexit , has said that no withdrawal agreement for the UK will be made without a “backstop” option for the Republic of Ireland , whereby the Republic of Ireland – or the UK – remains in a common regulatory area with the EU in order to prevent a hard border. EU said that the border is an EU problem, not just an Irish issue, and that the UK government had already agreed to a backstop option.