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What’s in Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal with the European Union?

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“Where there is a will, there is a deal!” Boris Johnson and Jean-Claude Juncker both took to Twitter to announce that a Brexit deal has been struck between the EU and the UK as they gathered in Brussels for a crucial European Council summit.

Johnson was quick to call it “a new deal that takes back control” and urged the British parliament to approve it soon “so we can move on to other priorities like the cost of living, the NHS, violent crime and our environment”.

He may be speaking too soon, though, as Northern Ireland’s unionist party, DUP, whose votes are important for the deal to be approved in parliament, has rejected the proposed agreement “as things stand”

But what’s in this deal?

Many elements of the deal remain unchanged from the one Boris Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, agreed with Brussels in November 2018.

The main differences are to be found on issues concerning Ireland.

The deal that May agreed envisaged — in the event talks on a future trade deal failed to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland — the introduction of a backstop or fall-back p That would see the UK remain in the EU’s customs union and Northern Ireland follow some of the bloc’s single market rules.

But Johnson’s wing of the Conservative Party opposed the backstop on the grounds it could keep the UK in the EU for years to come.

This latest deal sees Northern Ireland leave the EU’s customs union and single market.

It will remain in the UK’s customs territory and follow EU procedures for goods arriving into the country.

There will be no customs checks on the island of Ireland – they will be done in ports.

For goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, that are deemed to be staying there, no EU tariff will apply.

No EU tariffs would be paid on personal goods carried by travellers across the Irish frontier and for a second category of exempted goods that can only be for immediate consumption rather than subsequent processing.

The Northern Irish assembly will have to give consent after Brexit for the region’s continued alignment with the EU regulatory regime.

Four years after Brexit, the assembly will have to decide by simple majority of those taking part in the vote whether to apply it. If the vote is positive, the system is extended for another four years.

If another vote then is positive with cross-community support, the system is extended by another eight years until another vote.

If consent is not granted, there is a two-year cooling off period during which sides need to find a new solution to prevent the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

If the regional assembly does not sit or vote, the system continues as the default position

Unlike the “backstop” solution in the original deal, rejected by the British parliament, this system would not be replaced by a new free-trade deal between Britain and the EU

That marks a big concession from the EU side.

Previously agreed settlement on citizens’ rights after Brexit and Britain’s divorce bill stay as they were.

The transition period should last until the end of 2020, Barnier said, but it could be extended to last another one or two years if an agreement is reached.

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