{"id":5232,"date":"2018-12-13T11:59:25","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T11:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qpol.qub.ac.uk\/?p=5232"},"modified":"2018-12-13T11:59:25","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T11:59:25","slug":"brexit-why-the-eu-doesnt-want-the-uk-to-remain-in-the-backstop-indefinitely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/qpol\/brexit-why-the-eu-doesnt-want-the-uk-to-remain-in-the-backstop-indefinitely\/","title":{"rendered":"Brexit: why the EU doesn\u2019t want the UK to remain in the backstop indefinitely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A key criticism made by opponents of the Brexit withdrawal agreement<\/a> is that the UK would be stuck indefinitely in the so-called Irish \u201cbackstop\u201d \u2013 aimed at avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland \u2013 with no unilateral way out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this assumes that the EU would want the UK to stay in the backstop indefinitely. It\u2019s pretty clear that it would not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In defence of her Brexit deal, Theresa May has repeatedly stressed<\/a> that the arrangements for the backstop set out in a dedicated protocol<\/a> on Northern Ireland would not inevitably come into force. If the agreement is approved, the arrangements would come into force at the end of the transition period<\/a> if no alternative arrangements have been agreed as part of the new UK-EU relationship to be negotiated after Brexit. The transition is scheduled to end in December 2020, though could be extended once if both sides agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protocol describes the purpose of the backstop provisions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

To address the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, maintain the necessary conditions for continued north-south cooperation, avoid a hard border and protect the 1998 [Good Friday Agreement] in all its dimensions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The backstop arrangements are therefore an agreed insurance policy<\/a>, \u201cintended to apply only temporarily\u201d, and would only be in place \u201cunless and until they are superseded, in whole or in part, by a subsequent agreement\u201d. The objective \u201cis not to establish a permanent relationship\u201d between the EU and the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To continue reading, please click here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article originally appeared on The Conversation.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0featured\u00a0image<\/a>\u00a0has been used courtesy of a\u00a0Creative Commons license.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s pretty clear that the EU does not want the UK to stay in the backstop indefinitely, says Professor David Phinnemore. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2465,"featured_media":5234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[762,98,527,772],"class_list":["post-5232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-backstop","tag-eu","tag-theresa-may","tag-withdrawal-agreement"],"mb":[],"acf":{"authors":{"simple_value_formatted":"