5. Under the caveat that
nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, the joint
commitments set out below in this joint report shall be reflected in the Withdrawal
Agreement in full detail. This does not prejudge any adaptations that might be
appropriate in case transitional arrangements were to be agreed in the second phase of
the negotiations, and
[...]
49. The United Kingdom remains committed to protecting North-South cooperation and to
its guarantee of avoiding a hard border. Any future arrangements must be compatible
with these overarching requirements. The United Kingdom's intention is to achieve
these objectives through the overall EU-UK relationship. Should this not be possible,
the United Kingdom will propose specific solutions to address the unique
circumstances of the island of Ireland.
In the absence of agreed solutions, the United
Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the
Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the allisland
economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement.
[...]