Varadkar very happy with European Commission Brexit paper

Latest: The Taoiseach said the Government is very happy with the European Commission's position paper on Brexit published today.

Update 6pm: The Taoiseach has said the Government is very happy with the European Commission's position paper on Brexit published today.

Leo Varadkar says the EU27 has now formally stated its unwavering support for the gains of the peace process, the common travel area, common citizenship between the UK and Ireland and avoiding barriers to trade on the island.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he was worried by some of the positions the UK was taking.

Mr Varadkar said he believes the UK should remain in a customs union similar to the European market for a transitional period.

"A political solution to me is Britain and the United Kingdom taking a decision to retain or stay in a customs union or partnership. Or stay in something not very different from the single European market for a transitional period," he said.

Earlier:Brussels is laying responsibility for sorting out arrangements for the Irish border after Brexit solely on the UK government, new papers reportedly reveal.

The latest batch in a series of documents setting out the European Union's negotiating position are expected to be released on Thursday but do "not put forward solutions" for resolving travel between the north and south of the island of Ireland after 2019.

Instead the papers say the onus to sort out the problem "remains on the UK", according to documents seen by the Financial Times.

"The present paper does not put forward solutions for the Irish border," the papers state.

"The onus to propose solutions which overcame the challenges created on the island of Ireland by the UK's withdrawal and its decision to leave the customs union and the internal market remains on the UK."

According to BBC reports, the EU papers insist that nothing in Britain's withdrawal deal should affect Ireland's place in the single market and customs union.

The documents propose allowing people to continue to cross the Irish border to work, study and receive medical treatment, it was reported.

And they are understood to float the idea of specific commitments to be written into the departure deal to protect cross-border co-operation in areas like health, education, transport and fishing.

Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis has insisted discussions with Brussels on border plans have been "good" but the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said "a lot more substantial work" needs to be done.

The EU paper calls for "unique solutions" and floats the possibility of "specific provisions" being included in the exit agreement to address the fact the peace process was underpinned by common EU law.

Among the draft documents are also demands for European delicacies like Parmesan cheese and Champagne to be given a protected status in British law after Brexit, according to the FT.

Intellectual property rights must not be "undermined by the withdrawal of the UK from the EU", the papers state.

To make safeguards for geographic food and drink specialities that have protections, such as parma ham, enforceable "specific domestic legislation" may be needed.

Mr Barnier is expected to be quizzed about the contents of the documents at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday afternoon.