November Newsletter

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your support during Sue's absence. We're looking forward to meeting some of you in Malaga on 3 December. John Moffett - Vice Chair In this month's newsletter: Update on Brexit negotiations Focus on: The Irish border problem British in Europe Steering Committee British in Europe MEP lobbying campaign Reinforcement of the Bremain network Major Bremain in Spain meet in Málaga Member of the Month: Sian Shaw Brexit news round-up for <strong>November</strong> Bremain in Spain in the press Update on Brexit negotiations The latest news regarding Brexit negotiations is that the UK has agreed to up its exit bill commitment to at least 40 billion euros, double what Theresa May's cabinet had previously indicated it would be willing to pay, and that the EU is likely to accept the offered figure. This move is seen as an attempt to encourage the EU Council to make a decision of "sufficient progress" on the phase 1 talks. At the same time and in an attempt to appease hard Brexiteers among the ranks of the government, Theresa May is attempting to amend the EU Withdrawal Bill by adding the precise date and time upon which the UK will cease to be a member of the EU, but this has encountered much controversy, even among her own party. There are fears that the specification of an exact time and date might force a no-deal scenario if, as the negotiation period draws to a close, a deal is very close but not quite concluded. We'll know in the next couple of weeks whether this amendment - along with many amendments from opposition parties - is passed. With regard to citizens' rights, the next few weeks leading up to the scheduled EU Council meeting will be crucial. Although some common ground has been found, citizens' rights are still not fully protected or ring-fenced, which means that a lot of people still face uncertain futures. For more information on how you can help, please see the article below about the British in Europe MEP lobbying campaign. The other phase 1 sticking point is the almost impossible issue of the border (or lack of it) between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This topic has hotted up over the last
few weeks, with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the DUP clashing over whether Brexit might bring about a return of the Troubles and Varadkar demanding a written assurance that there will be no post-Brexit hard border before giving his approval for the commencement of trade talks. For a more in-depth look at the intricacies of the thorny Irish border issue, read our editorial below. Focus on: The Irish border problem Thin border line between chaos and catastrophe - Sarah Farrell "Taking back control of our borders" was one of the strongest slogans during the European Union referendum campaign for those on the Leave side. The lofty aim continues to be brandished by Brexiteers so that the UK can control who does and who does not step into the country. Let's see how capable the politicians are at controlling borders by looking at how well they are dealing with the thorny issue of the Irish border. This is an interesting point because when the UK splits from the EU, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will become the UK's only land link with the EU. Therefore, talks about the Irish border are a very important part of the negotiations. After Brexit, this may become the point where customs checks and tariffs could be imposed on goods moving between the two countries. This is one of the issues which must be resolved before the EU will agree to move on to talks about trade after Brexit. It is also a prime example of the complexities involved in leaving the EU. Once Britain leaves the single market, it will need to monitor imports and exports moving anywhere across the 310- mile border separating Northern Ireland and the Republic. If a 'hard' border is imposed, with checkpoints and customs controls, it will be a difficult and expensive job. Northern Irish exports to the Republic are worth £3.6 billion a year, which shows how valuable it is to maintain good trading practices between the two countries. The British government has suggested a customs system whereby large companies would declare what they have shipped and pay duties on it while smaller companies would not face controls. It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, there are certainly many people pointing out the flaws to this idea. Firstly, the Irish border could become a quasi-legal smuggling haven for non-EU importers who could fly their goods into Belfast and then use a number of smaller companies to ship them over the border without paying tariffs. Obviously this would be unacceptable to the EU, which would kick up a huge fuss if this was seen to be happening. Also, EU importers would be able to get their goods tax-free into Britain by using the Irish border. If Britain remained in the single market, this would not be such a problem. However the UK is insisting on leaving Europe's free trade agreement, which means the border will become a barrier between two different economic zones working to two different tariffs and tax systems.
Page 1: Welcome to the Bremain in Spain new
Page 5 and 6: short and long term, including a ca
Page 7 and 8: Major Bremain in Spain meet in Mál
Page 9: Brexit news round-up for November -

November Newsletter

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