The British government wants to unilaterally change the Brexit arrangement for Northern Ireland agreed with Brussels. A bill presented Monday is needed to ensure stability and peace in the formerly troubled province, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in the House of Commons in London. However, this would amount to a breach of the Brexit Treaty – a trade war with the EU is now looming.
“We remain open to talks with the EU,” Truss said Monday. However, progress can only be made if Brussels accepts changes to the agreement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. Until now, that has not been the case.
Johnson warns of ‘gross overreaction’
It involves a series of “relatively trivial changes,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. If the EU were to start a trade war in response to UK legislative plans, it would be a “gross overreaction”.
A clear violation of international law
London is now threatening to halt the goods controls agreed in the protocol to protect the EU’s internal market and replace it with a voluntary regulation. In addition, the role of the European Court of Justice is being drastically curtailed.
London also wants to give itself a free hand when it comes to VAT regulations. According to many experts, this would be a clear violation of international law. However, the government in London denies this.
EU: approach “unacceptable”
Beforehand, there was sharp criticism from the EU. Doing it alone damages mutual trust and creates uncertainty, said European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic. The chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, David McAllister, also called unilateral measures in the DPA discussion “unacceptable”.
The Northern Ireland Protocol is part of the 2019 Brexit deal. It states that the county, which is part of the United Kingdom, will continue to follow the rules of the EU’s internal market and the European customs union. This is intended to avoid product controls for the EU member Republic of Ireland to prevent the conflict between opponents and supporters of a reunification of the two parts of Ireland from rekindling.
Special Customs Rules for Northern Ireland
The current agreement provides for special customs rules for Northern Ireland to keep the historically sensitive border between the British province and the EU state of Ireland open. However, the agreement has created a de facto customs border in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. This led to, among other things, delivery problems and also great outrage in Great Britain.
The topic had become more explosive recently as the Catholic nationalist party Sinn Fein became the strongest force for the first time in Northern Ireland’s general election. It pursues the goal of secession from Great Britain and union with Ireland. Sinn Fein accused the British government on Sunday of breaking the law over the planned changes.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
