Dublin, 29 June 2018: Commenting on the conclusions of the European Council Summit in relation to Brexit, Noelle O Connell, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland, says: “It is understandable that both businesses and individuals alike are frustrated that greater progress on Brexit was not made at this week’s European Leaders’ Summit. At this stage, the only thing we can be certain of is uncertainty and we need to prepare for all possible outcomes.
“While, the lack of progress is frustrating there are some positive takeaways. The EU27 once again reiterated that it will hold the UK to its commitment in the December agreement to find a backstop solution for the Irish border and that negotiation on other issues, including a transition period, cannot progress if this commitment is not upheld.
“It is worth remembering that, historically, complex agreements are often not reached until the last moment. Indeed, we saw this just today when the agreement on migration was made following talks that went through the night. The process of detaching one country from 45 years’ worth of shared rules and structures was always going to be extremely challenging and will only come about by continuing to talk and engage.”