The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement for the agreed divorce of the United Kingdom.
This was communicated by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in a letter to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk
In his letter, Juncker recommends the European leaders who gathered today in Brussels for the October European Council to support the proposed agreement and the political declaration on the future EU relationship with the United Kingdom.
"The negotiators reached an agreement on a revised protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and on a revised political declaration on 17 October 2019. Both were endorsed by the European Commission. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom also signaled his approval of these documents to me today", explained Juncker in the letter.
The 'Irish backstop'
Northern Ireland and the so-called 'Irish backstop' (a mechanism to ensure that the Irish border remains open as it is today after Brexit) has been one of the key obstacles in the negotiations.
The proposal still has to be accepted by the British Parliament. Despite the agreement between London and Brussels, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson still faces at home a very complicated political situation. Mainly due to the reluctance of his main ally, the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (DUP), to vote for the deal.
Brussels, however, wants to turn the page as soon as possible: "As I have indicated to you in the past, I believe it is high time to complete the withdrawal process and move on, as swiftly as possible, to the negotiation on the European Union's future partnership with the United Kingdom", Juncker says in his letter.
*If you want to read Jean-Claude Juncker's letter to Donald Tusk, click n find it HERE
