Update 1.12pm: EU leaders have unanimously agreed on guidelines for two years of Brexit talks.
As expected #Brexit guidelines agreed call for 'flexible' solutions with island of Ireland, inc. aim to avoid hard border #iestaff #EUCO pic.twitter.com/zkwn35PeqI
— Juno McEnroe (@Junomaco) April 29, 2017
They have been meeting in Brussels, without Theresa May, to discuss their negotiating strategy.
European Council president Donald Tusk has tweeted to say a “firm and fair” political mandate is ready.
Guidelines adopted unanimously. EU27 firm and fair political mandate for the #Brexit talks is ready. #EUCO
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) April 29, 2017
Donald Tusk’s spokesman told Juno McEnroe, Political Correspondent, Brussels, that a statement on a United Ireland that was submitted today will not be adopted until the June summit.
Donald Tusk spokesman tells Irish Examiner statement on United Ireland at #EUCO ,submitted today,but not adopted until June summit #iestaff
— Juno McEnroe (@Junomaco) April 29, 2017
Update 12.20: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that European leaders understand Ireland’s “difficulties” as he arrived for the special EU summit to agree the ground rules on Britain’s divorce from the EU, writes Juno McEnroe, Political Correspondent, Brussels.
In advance of an expected special statement on the North by leaders, Mr Kenny said the government had been working hard on aspects of the negotiations for over a year.
“Our priorities are reflected in the document from the European Parliament and the European Council. So we look forward in the afternoon to having agreement on the draft document which sets out what our priorities are.”
He said that Ireland’s “difficulties” were understood by European leaders at the summit.
Arriving after an earlier meeting of EU counterparts at a meeting European People’s Party, Mr Kenny made it clear that all aspects of Ireland’s needs and concerns with Brexit were with the EU Council.
The 27 EU leaders today are expected to approve a special statement supporting a declaration that the North would rejoin the EU after Brexit in the event of a vote for Irish reunification.
The basis for the declaration is after the government’s campaign to have the Good Friday Agreement formally recognised in the negotiations and Ireland’s unique position.
Ahead of today’s summit in Brussels, EU council president Donald Tusk has endorsed the special statement and told EU leaders that Britain must settle issues such as “people, money and Ireland” before any talks on a post-Brexit deal begin.
Earlier: In what is expected to be Enda Kenny’s last EU summit today, the Taoiseach will move to leave in place an option to keep the North in the EU after Brexit if there is a vote for a united Ireland, writes Juno McEnroe, Political Correspondent, Brussels.
This is the first summit without the British since their decision to leave the EU.
Mr Kenny said before flying on Friday that hard work had brought Ireland to this place to help Ireland’s priorities including the economy, the common travel area and the peace process.
European leaders today are set to give unanimous support to a special declaration that the North would rejoin the EU after Brexit in the event of a vote for Irish reunification.
EU leaders will also present a united and tough front ahead of formal negotiations getting underway with the British, including a demand for London to pay an estimated €60bn divorce bill.
Diplomats will ask the 27 leaders of the post-Brexit union to recognise a special clause, separate from the divorce guidelines.
Mr Kenny will discuss the United Ireland statement at the security-tight summit, where leaders will also formally agree the ground rules to negotiate Britain’s exit over the next two years.
The basis for the declaration is after the government’s campaign to have the Good Friday Agreement formally recognised in the negotiations and Ireland’s unique position.
Mr Kenny has referred publicly a number of times to a German precedent on this.
Germany was reunited after the Berlin Wall came down and East Germany then went on to become a member of the EU.
🇮🇪 Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD has arrived at the #EPPSummit ahead of #EUCO @FineGael pic.twitter.com/CWYYRPBmkF
— EPP (@EPP) April 29, 2017
The statement that the 27 leaders are expected to agree later today says:
“The European Council acknowledges that the Good Friday Agreement expressly provides for an agreed mechanism whereby a United Ireland may be brought about through peaceful and democratic means; and, in this regard, the European Council acknowledges that, in accordance with international law, the entire territory of such a united Ireland would thus be part of the European Union”.
A working lunch for the leaders here today is also expected to include talks on the relocation of the EU medical and banking agencies, currently based in London. Ireland is bidding to relocate the European Medical Agency to Dublin.
One of the other pressing issues for leaders will be a discussion on the fate of the estimated 3 million Europeans living in Britain and the one million British living on the continent.
