U.K. readies ‘backstop’ plan for Irish border after Brexit: reports
The U.K. government on Thursday is expected to publish a document outlining a “backstop” arrangement aimed at keeping the Irish border open after the U.K. exits the European Union, media reports said Wednesday. The arrangement is expected to set a time limit under which the U.K. would remain within parts of the EU’s customs union if officials are unable to reach a solution related to borders for Northern Ireland, the BBC reported. For months, U.K. and EU negotiators have been trying settle the issue of the Irish border – which divides the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state, from Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. The U.K. is expected to leave the EU in March 2019.