Northern Ireland can stay with bloc in custom union after Brexit: EU

The EU said today that British-ruled Northern Ireland could stay part of a customs union with the bloc after Brexit if a better solution is not found.

The "backstop" proposal in a draft Brexit withdrawal agreement unveiled by EU negotiator Michel Barnier is set to stoke fresh tensions between London and Brussels.
Britain says it opposes anything that would effectively create an internal border in its territory, but Barnier insisted it did not threaten UK sovereignty.

"My personal opinion is that this backstop will not call into question the constitutional or institutional order of the UK," Barnier told a news conference.
"I'm not trying to provoke, I'm not trying to create any shockwaves," Barnier added, calling on Britain to "keep calm and stay pragmatic."

The 120-page agreement says that in the absence of another plan, "a common regulatory area comprising the Union and the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland" would be set up.