#Brexit: ‘The Good Friday Agreement should in no way be put at risk’

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker received Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny in Brussels today (23 February). The meeting was focused on Brexit, both the questions specific to Ireland and broader European issues. Europe’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, sat in on the meeting.

Juncker spoke glowingly of his personal relationship with Kenny and his appreciation of Ireland, saying that Ireland had always behaved like a founding member of the EU. As an aside, Juncker said that other founding members were no longer behaving in this way – though no names were mentioned. Juncker emphasized that the challenges faced by Ireland will not be faced alone and that the Irish would be supported by their European partners, to minimize the impact of Brexit on Irish citizens.

'Ireland will be on the EU-27 side of the negotiating table'

‘Hard’ or ‘soft’ border

Juncker’s sensitivities to the border issues will be informed by his chief negotiator. Michel Barnier has an in-depth understanding of Northern Ireland; as a former commissioner for regional policy, he was responsible for negotiating the PEACE programme.

Juncker said that he would like to see the land border between the north and south remain “as open as possible” and that the Good Friday Agreement should be in no way put at risk. A view that Prime Minister May appears to support in her 12-point plan.

Kenny spoke of the special situation of Ireland and the peace process; he said that the language contained in the Good Friday Agreement should be maintained in the negotiated agreement between the EU-27 and the UK.

Asked how he could surmount a hard border if the UK is outside the customs union and single market, Kenny said he wanted something as close to what is in place at the moment as possible, but would not comment further until he saw what the UK was submitting. He hinted that the UK might not be able to meet the 9 March deadline it has set itself.

A message for Trump

Kenny is expected to stand down as Taoiseach after this year's St. Patrick’s day celebrations. Traditionally, the Irish Taoiseach visits the president of the United States on the national day. Kenny said that he would take the opportunity to explain the values of the European Union and what the EU means for global peace and prosperity when he meets Trump; he urged other EU leaders to make the same points in their dealings with the United States.

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