Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar has given his backing to the package of legally-binding measures agreed between the European Union and the UK in Strasbourg last night.
The changes, which consist of two documents and a declaration from the UK, outline changes to be made to the withdrawal agreement struck between the two entities earlier in the year.
Speaking this morning (March 12) in reaction to the changes, the Taoiseach said: “The documents are complementary to the withdrawal agreement and political declaration and aim to provide an additional layer of interpretation, clarification and elaboration to the UK ahead of a further vote in Westminster.
“We’re aware that the UK has also published a unilateral declaration alongside the two joint documents agreed.
In the context of tonight’s vote in Westminster, the outcome from yesterday’s meeting between Prime Minister May and President Juncker is positive.
Commenting on the Irish Government’s role in the negotiations to date, Varadkar said: “In that work we’ve insisted that the withdrawal agreement could not be rewritten and that the backstop arrangement, while intended to be temporary, must continue to apply unless and until it’s replaced by future arrangements that achieve the same objectives; namely no hard border.”
The Taoiseach added that Ireland has said on multiple occasions that guarantees and assurances could be offered to the UK in good faith and intentions, noting that this was put in action last night.
“The instrument agreed yesterday puts those assurances on a legal footing and represents an unambiguous statement by both parties of what has been agreed.
It does not reopen the withdrawal agreement or undermine the backstop or its application. It says we will work together in good faith in pursuit of a future relationship that assures that the objectives of the protocol, particularly the need to avoid a hard border, are met.
“But we’re also committed to exploring alternatives in a timely way, in the events that the overall future relationship cannot be concluded in a satisfactory and timely manner.”
The Taoiseach stressed that the changes do not call into question the fact that the backstop will apply “unless and until better arrangements are agreed”, with all parties in good faith and best endeavours to that aim.
Describing the withdrawal agreement as representing “a fair compromise by all sides”, he said that last night’s text provides “additional clarity, reassurance and guarantees sought by some to eliminate doubt or fears, however unreal, that the goal of some was to trap the UK indefinitely in the backstop – it is not”.
“These doubts and fears can now be put to bed,” he added.
“The withdrawal agreement, as you know, provides for a transitional period running at least until the end of 2020, during which nothing will change. This is really important for exporters, businesses and employers, farmers and our fishermen.
We now need to see the withdrawal agreement ratified by Westminster and the European Parliament without further delay so that we can get on with the important work of building a new relationship between the EU and the UK, and between the UK and Ireland post-Brexit.
“I now feel that for the remainder of the day we need to give MPs in Westminster the time and space to consider what is now on the table,” Varadkar concluded.