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The UK could still have a Canadian-style free trade agreement with the EU after Brexit, it was said.
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that his proposal for an improved version of the agreement – sometimes called "Canada +++" – was still on the table.
This has led new calls from Eurosceptic conservatives to Theresa May for her to abandon her draft Brexit auditors.
After talks in Brussels with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Tusk said that the EU remained committed to reaching an agreement with the United Kingdom, which maintained a "close and close relationship" with the EU. as special as possible ".
Her intervention comes after Ms. May told the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham that her Checkers plan was the only proposal to avoid the imposition of a rigid border between Ireland and the United States. North and Republic.
Tory Brexiteers – who said the controllers would maintain an undue connection between Britain and the EU after leaving the EU – warmly welcomed Mr Tusk's comments, saying that they showed that another agreement was possible.
Mr Tusk said: "Let us be clear: the EU wants as close and special a relationship as possible with the UK.
"From the beginning, the EU's offer is not just a Canada agreement, but a Canada +++ agreement.
"Considerable progress in trade, domestic security and foreign policy cooperation. It's a real measure of respect.
"And this offer remains in place. The EU really wants to get the best deal possible. Even if we have not changed our minds, the consequences of Brexit will be negative for both parties. "
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis, who resigned over Checkers, said: "This clearly shows that No 10's assertion that there is no alternative to Checkers is simply wrong. .
"We could easily change the strategy for Canada +++ and get a positive outcome for the UK, acceptable to Parliament and negotiable with Brussels."
Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Tory Brexit research group, said this was "a good solution for everyone," while Sir Bernard Jenkin also praised Tusk's offer, but said that a satisfactory solution should be found at the Irish border. problem.
"The EU must admit that the issue of the Irish border is resolved via controls outside the border, and not via a security system that threatens to divide the UK," he wrote on Twitter.
May is categorical: she will not accept the EU's proposed "support" arrangement that would allow Northern Ireland to remain in the customs union if there were no wider agreement – providing for controls of goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
Mr Tusk said that the EU remained "united behind Ireland" and that it was necessary to "preserve the peace process in Northern Ireland".
"Despite the UK government's rejection of the original EU support proposal, we will not give up on looking for a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday agreement and the integrity of the single market and the union. customs, "he said.
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