EU reacts to unilateral change, as does British opposition and some Boris Johnson Conservatives
London, Thanasis Gavos
The controversial bill that provides for a unilateral amendment to the provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit agreement was presented on Monday. the British government.
London’s goal is to ease controls on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland, controls agreed between Brussels and London to prevent the re-establishment of a “hard” border on the island of Ireland after the UK leaves the UK. EU.
The EU is reacting to unilateral change, as well as the British opposition and some of Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, alleging violations of international law
from London.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras said the bill was a “reasonable, practical solution” to the problems facing Northern Ireland and that progress in the negotiations could only be made if the EU was willing to make changes to the Protocol itself. “At the moment it is not,” Ms. Tras added, stressing that the bill is in line with the law.
He added that the changes were necessary to safeguard the Good Friday Peace Agreement, which is being “undermined” by the current Protocol, and to support political stability in Northern Ireland.
Legal notes issued by the government along with the bill invoke the “doctrine of necessity” for changes due to the “risk” that lurks for the future of Northern Ireland in the current Protocol. They state that this is a very special situation and that “it is only in the difficult, complex and unique circumstances of Northern Ireland that the government has reluctantly decided to introduce legislative measures which, when they enter into force, provide for the non-implementation of certain obligations. ».
EU-UK relationship must be based on the full respect of our legally binding commitments.
My statement to the UK case decision to table legislation disapplying core elements of the Protocol on IE / NI 👉 https://t.co/lLy2sdZdFa. pic.twitter.com/gjTXD7YYHv
– Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (@MarosSefcovic) June 13, 2022
The responsible Vice-President of the European Commission Maros Shevtsovich ewrote on Twitter that the actions of the British government “affect mutual trust and are a formula for uncertainty.” He later expressed the EU’s “significant concern” and warned that “Proportional action”, which will begin with the resumption of legal proceedings against London suspended in September 2020.
The Irish Foreign Minister described the bill as a “particularly low point” in the British approach to Brexit. Simon Coveni.
Leaders of the two largest parties in Northern Ireland have expressed conflicting views on the British government’s move. Michelle O’Neill of Republican Sean Fein said Boris Johnson’s move was “illegal,” while Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP said the bill offered what it needed, “solutions.”
Among other things, the bill provides the abolition of controls products from Great Britain destined to remain in Northern Ireland and not to cross into the Republic of Ireland, ie EU territory.
It also allows companies in Northern Ireland to produce and sell products that do not comply with current or future EU regulations.
It envisages limiting the role of the European Court of Justice to trade disputes relating to the Protocol and the possibility of changing VAT in Northern Ireland to bring it into line with that imposed in the rest of the United Kingdom.
However, the bill leaves a window for an agreement with the EU on mutual amendment of the Protocol, which will take precedence over the new law. In fact, the changes will not take effect automatically with the approval of the bill by the British Parliament, but implementing provisions must be preceded by the competent ministers.
