But even the second phase of the Brexit negotiations on trade relations, which the process now moves to, has been overshadowed by the wider debate around future reforms of the EU. The media’s focus was largely on the terms of the divorce bill and looking ahead to the negotiations on a EU-UK trade deal. Of course it is there because there is a process and that process has to be followed. It is a secondary or tertiary issue for most countries.”He said while no final Brexit deal might be “a huge problem for Ireland”, it would be regarded as “a manageable problem for the European Union”. Brexit is a third-level item for most European policymakers by now.”French publicStéphane Crouzat, France’s ambassador in Dublin, said the French public was “keenly aware” of the importance of the Brexit deal on the Border, and it was a “misperception” to say that it was not.

Source: The Irish Times December 15, 2017 18:45 UTC