Brexit: Brussels excludes any renegotiation of the protocol on Northern Ireland

Published on : 07/21/2021 – 10:41 PM

The European Commission opposed an end of inadmissibility, Wednesday July 21, to the British government which asked for a renegotiation of the post-Brexit customs measures in Northern Ireland.

The European bloc is ready to continue the dialogue and to “find innovative solutions” with London, but “within the framework of the protocol”, “we will not accept a renegotiation of the protocol”, warned Maros Sefcovic, recalling that these measures Bitterly negotiated had been ratified by the British Parliament.

The Vice-President of the European Commission also said he was ready to meet David Frost, British Secretary of State for European Affairs, as soon as possible to discuss this subject.

To avoid the return of a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the Northern Irish protocol bitterly negotiated within the framework of the Brexit, creates in fact a customs border between the British province, which still benefits from the market unique European, and the island of Great Britain.

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This disrupts supplies to the territory and sows anger in the Unionist community attached to staying within the United Kingdom.

“Avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland”

After threatening to unilaterally suspend the treaty by invoking its Article 16, London, through David Frost, warned on Wednesday that the current situation “warrants” it, but conceded it was “not the right time”. On the other hand, he asked for a renegotiation to arrive at “a new balance”.

“We simply cannot continue like this,” he hammered in the House of Lords, presenting the British demands. “These proposals will require a significant change to the Northern Ireland protocol”, which is why “we believe we need to agree quickly on a moratorium”.

On the European side, Maros Sefcovic recalled that the agreement on these Northern Irish provisions had the objective of “protecting the Good Friday agreement in its entirety”, an allusion to the agreement which in 1998 signed peace between all the forces policies in Northern Ireland.

It is about, he added, “to maintain peace and stability in Northern Ireland, to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, while preserving the integrity of the single market of the ‘EU’.

With AFP