About: Customs Union
Brexit deal within reach in last-ditch talks, but doubts remain
Britain and the EU made headway on Tuesday (15 October) in last-ditch talks on a Brexit deal ahead of a leaders' summit, but with just hours left to clinch an agreement it was still unclear if London could avoid postponing its scheduled departure on 31 October.
EU warns Turkey over ‘illegal’ drilling off Cyprus
The European Union on Tuesday (18 June) hit out at Turkey for its "illegal drilling activities" off Cyprus and warned of possible retaliation over the controversial gas exploration bid.
UK almost certain to contest EU elections as May prepares to make new concessions
The UK is increasingly likely to contest the European elections next month, after Theresa May’s Conservative party formally began its process of selecting candidates for the poll.
‘Something has to give,’ Barnier tells Brexit Britain
European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Monday (11 February) British Prime Minister Theresa May should endorse a permanent customs union with the bloc - as proposed by the opposition Labour party - to break the impasse over their looming divorce.
May rejects pivot towards Brexit customs union compromise
British Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected the idea of targeting a customs union with the European Union, pouring cold water on hopes from some that she could shift her Brexit policy to win over the opposition Labour Party.
Agri-food sector calls for foodstuffs ‘ fast-track’ in case of no-deal Brexit
European farmers, agri-traders and food makers are lobbying EU negotiators to consider unilateral contingency measures specific for foodstuffs, as current preparedness procedures alone would not be enough to avoid a harsh impact of no-deal Brexit on the agri-food sector.
UK to ease customs checks on EU goods in event of no-deal Brexit
Most goods arriving from the European Union will be allowed into Britain without full customs checks for at least three months if it leaves the bloc without an exit deal, the British government said on Monday (5 February).
UK cabinet chaos as May tries to steady the ship
UK Prime Minister Theresa May was defiant on Thursday (15 November), as she dismissed claims from government ministers that her draft withdrawal agreement does not deliver the Brexit that the British public voted for.
Theresa May battles to save Brexit deal as ministers quit
Prime Minister Theresa May battled on Thursday (15 November) to save a draft divorce deal with the European Union after her Brexit secretary and other ministers quit in protest at an agreement they say will trap Britain in the bloc's orbit for years.
The 585-page draft Brexit agreement in a nutshell
The European Union has published on Wednesday (14 November) the 585-page draft Brexit deal aimed at ensuring a smooth divorce next March and outlining a transition period for both sides to adjust to the break.
Ambitious EU-UK trade deal possible after Brexit, need Ireland solution first
Britain and the EU can have a trade agreement of unprecedented scope after Brexit if each retains control over their laws and there is a deal how to avoid a physical border in Northern Ireland, a top EU official said.
EU rejects Britain’s key elements of special customs plan after Brexit
EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier rejected key elements of Britain's new trade proposals on Thursday (26 July) even as he and his new British counterpart Dominic Raab voiced a shared determination to reach a deal by October.
EU could agree to extend Brexit talks to avoid ‘no deal’, says Austria’s Kurz
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has mooted the prospect of EU leaders agreeing to extend Article 50 talks with the UK in a bid to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit that analysts say would have a serious negative impact on the economy on both sides of the Channel.
UK plans to stay in customs union until December 2021 under new ‘backstop’
The UK plans to remain in the EU’s customs union until December 2021 according to a new ‘backstop’ proposal unveiled by Teresa May, aimed at avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
UK ‘working on two versions’ of customs pact, says Hammond
UK ministers will set out their vision of future trading relations with the EU in the coming weeks, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Thursday (24 May).
Britain will leave customs union, May says, to offer Ireland backstop
Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday (17 May) Britain would leave the EU customs union after Brexit but a source said London was considering a backstop plan that would apply the bloc's external tariffs beyond December 2020.
Barnier warns Brexit deal at risk over Irish border
European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned Britain Sunday (29 April) that "the time has now come to resolve the contradictions" over the Northern Irish border, ahead of a visit to the island.
Customs Union: The least bad Brexit compromise that nobody wants
One joke already doing the rounds in Westminster is that Brexit is like Communist Russia: it only failed because it wasn’t done properly.
‘No deal’ Brexit risks disaster for food and drink industry, warn MPs
A no-deal Brexit would be ‘disastrous’ for the UK food and drink industry and ‘must be avoided at all costs’, UK MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, said in a report published on Sunday (22 April).
Theresa May suffers embarrassing Brexit defeat in parliament’s upper house
Britain's upper house of parliament inflicted an embarrassing defeat on Theresa May's government on Wednesday (18 April), challenging her refusal to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.
British PM to outline post-Brexit trade ties with EU
British Prime Minister Theresa May will detail plans today (2 March) for a new economic relationship with the EU after Brexit, amid heightened tensions with Brussels over the implications for Northern Ireland.
EU Northern Ireland offer sparks Brexit war of words
An EU proposal to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit has prompted a war of words between London and Brussels, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May saying it would threaten the “constitutional integrity” of the UK.
UK government to counter Labour support for Brexit customs union
Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will use a speech today (27 February) to criticise staying in a customs union with the EU following Brexit, a day after the opposition Labour Party announced a policy shift in favour of the move.