Brexit trade deal confirmed ; ‘The clock is no longer ticking’ - Barnier

The talks have been pulled back from the precipice of a No Deal disaster scenario at the 11th hour.

In a Tweet confirming the deal, EU negotiator Michel Barnier, who visited Derry in 2018 and listened to the concerns of people in the city, which returned one of the highest Remain votes in the 2016 Referendum, said:

“The clock is no longer ticking. After 4.5 years of collective effort and #EU unity: To preserve peace on the island of Ireland. To protect citizens and the Single Market. To build a new partnership with the UK.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We have, finally, found an agreement. It was a long and winding road. But we have got a good deal to show for it. It is fair and balanced. And it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides.”

She said there would continue to be co-operation on mutual interests such as in the fields of climate change, energy, security and transport.

There will also be a five and a half years of “full predictability for our fishing communities and strong tools to incentivise it to remain so”.

Reacting to the announcement, Derry’s Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin said: “This is welcome for businesses who have been anxiously waiting on the outcome of these negotiations all year.

“An agreed trade deal was always paramount for businesses in Northern Ireland and while it has come at the last possible moment, companies across the country will be relieved to have some certainty and clarity going into 2021.

“A no-deal, cliff-edge situation on 31 December was unthinkable for businesses in the North West and would have done untold damage to our regional economy, so it is a relief that this at least will be avoided.

“The Government must now make clear to businesses what they must do to prepare for the incoming changes. The work does not end here. It must support business organisations to help and advise local companies, take a pragmatic and flexible approach during the first few months of 2021, and provide the necessary funding that will support businesses to keep trading across the UK and Europe in future.”

First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill have welcomed today’s announcement of a post Brexit trade deal.

First Minister Arlene Foster said: “The Executive has been united in supporting the need for a trading deal and I welcome the successful conclusion of these negotiations.

“This is the start of a new era in the relationship between the UK and the EU and in Northern Ireland we will want to maximise the opportunities the new arrangements provide for our local economy.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “While we have distinctly different political positions on leaving the EU, we are all agreed that it’s in no-one interests to leave without a deal, therefore this announcement is good news which will be welcomed across the whole island.

“As an Executive we will now need to consider the detail of the agreement because there will be many questions on what the agreement means for businesses and citizens and it is important they get that clarity.”

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the journey “has been a long and difficult one”.

“It has been a priority for this and for previous Governments to protect the achievements of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

“That is why implementation of the Protocol on Northern Ireland is so important. I know that not everyone is happy with the Protocol, but I believe it is a good outcome for the people of Northern Ireland. It enables Northern Ireland business to trade smoothly with Britain and within the EU Single Market. It supports the all-island economy. It protects Ireland’s place in the EU single market and customs union.

“Most importantly, it avoids a return of a hard border on the island.”

He added: “There is no such thing as a ‘good Brexit’ for Ireland.

“But we have worked hard to minimise the negative consequences. I believe the agreement reached today is the least bad version of Brexit possible, given current circumstances.”