The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier tells the press conference there are four main elements to the part of the Brexit deal concerning Northern Ireland: The island will remain aligned to a limited set of EU rules, meaning goods will be checked on entry to the island, rather than across a border on the island Northern Ireland will remain in the UK’s customs territory, benefiting from the UK’s future trade policy. but it will also remain an entry point into the single market Mr Barnier did not go into detail about what has been decided about VAT – a key sticking point of the deal for the DUP – but he says: “On this point also we have maintained the integrity of the single market but also satisfied the UK’s legitimate wishes” Four years after the enforcement of the deal, the elected representatives of Northern Ireland will be able to vote on whether or not to keep the arrangements in place “Discussions over the past days have at times been difficult, but have delivered and we have delivered together,” Mr Barnier says.

“What really matters [in Northern Ireland] is peace,” he adds.