The EU ’s chief Brexit negotiator , Michel Barnier , has said that no withdrawal agreement for the UK will be reached without a “ - ” option for the Republic of Ireland , whereby either Ireland – or the UK – remains in a common regulatory area with the EU in order to prevent a hard split . Barnier said that the border is an EU problem , not just an Irish issue , and that the UK government had already committed to a backstop deal .
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said that no withdrawal agreement for the UK will be made without a “backstop” option for the Republic of Ireland, whereby Northern Ireland – or the UK – remains in a common regulatory area with the EU in order to prevent a hard border. Barnier 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.