A German newspaper has cited European Union diplomatic sources as saying that the bloc is ready to make concessions on a controversial clause in the UK’s withdrawal agreement that made it fail to go though the British parliament.
Citing diplomatic sources in Brussels, Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday that the EU could offer new concessions on the so-called backstop clause in the Brexit agreement which sets out plans for administration of the only land border between the EU and the UK on the island of Ireland after Brexit.
The newspaper said Germany, the Netherlands and other countries are ready to offer further compromises on the backstop after lawmakers in the British parliament roundly rejected a draft withdraw deal signed between the British government and the EU in November. However, the report said such a compromise would only come if EU member Ireland accepts it.
When details of the deal emerged for the first time last year,…