British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will send the EU a formal written proposal for a possible Brexit deal within the coming days.
The formal written proposal will be sent to the EU on Wednesday, reports The Financial Times.
This news comes as concerns mount over the possible introduction of a string of customs centres on either side of the Irish border, an idea suggested in a proposal sent from London to Brussels, extracts of which were reportedly seen by RTÉ News on Monday evening.
BREAKING: the UK has proposed a string of "customs clearance centres" on both sides of the Irish border as a key part of its plan to replace the backstop, RTE News understands. The "centres", effectively customs posts, would be located between 5-10 miles "back" from the border.
— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) September 30, 2019
In an interview with BBC's Radio 4 on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said that there will need to be customs checks on the island of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU. He rejected claims that such checks would effectively mean that there would be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Johnson did not give further details, but said that a formal proposal would soon be made, reports the BBC.
The UK is set to leave the European Union on October 31.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times