London: Thanasis Gavos
Ready to proceed with the highly controversial unilateral cancellation Protocol for Northern Ireland included in the EU withdrawal agreement seems to be the British government.
The protocol, signed by the Johnson administration, has introduced controls on products moving from the UK to Northern Ireland so that businesses there can continue to follow EU single market rules and avoid harsh borders with the Republic of Ireland.
These controls, according to London and the Unionists in Northern Ireland, are neither viable nor practical and at the same time undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom.
The British side has proposed changes which, however, are not accepted by the EU, as well as the European proposals are rejected by London. This unbridled disagreement was confirmed in a morning communication between Foreign Minister Liz Trass and the relevant Vice-President of the Commission, Maros Sefsovic.
Ms Trace said the protocol had become the biggest obstacle to forming a local government in Northern Ireland, with the Democratic Unionist Party refusing to join the new government with Sinn Fein unless the protocol’s problems were “rectified”.
Ms Tras also told her interlocutor that the European proposals were “going backwards” as they introduced more controls and bureaucracy.
According to the Foreign Office, Mr. Sefsovic said that there is no room for him to introduce new proposals. Ms. Tras responded by expressing her regret for this.
He noted that the situation in Northern Ireland is ‘a matter of internal peace and security for the United Kingdom’ and warned that if the EU did not show “flexibility” in resolving the issues that arose, then as a responsible government the British “would have no choice but to act”.
She Ms Tras’s warning is seen as a clear indication of London’s intention to unilaterally cancel the protocolopening wide the prospect of a trade war with the EU.
That prospect has already come closer after Attorney General Suela Breiberman’s opinion was revealed by the Times, which gives the legal green light to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make this controversial unilateral move.
A staunch supporter of Brexit, Ms. Breivermann, whose role is a government post and a member of the cabinet, is said to have ruled that the unilateral move was justified by the “disproportionate and irrational” implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol by of the EU.
In her opinion she also points out that protocol threatens Good Friday peace deal triggering social unrest in Northern Ireland.
According to other reports, the British government has already begun drafting a bill that will allow the provisions of the protocol to be repealed.
According to the Telegraph, Ms. Tras has given a 72-hour ultimatum to Brussels to accept the British proposals, otherwise the decision to submit the bill to the House of Commons is expected to be finalized on Monday, which will probably happen on Tuesday.
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