The prime minister has rejected fierce EU opposition over legislation to override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, arguing the changes are “trivial”.
Boris Johnson has stated that it would be “absurd” for Brussels to launch a trade war over “trivial” planned changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, as senior EU officials have warned of the potential damage these changes could cause.
The government is prepared to introduce legislation to overrule portions of the agreement governing Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit commercial arrangements, despite accusations that the action may violate international law, thereby triggering a significant dispute with Europe.
After speaking with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, both Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic restated their objections to the accord.
Monday’s 12-minute chat between Mr. Coveney and Ms. Truss, according to a spokeswoman for Mr. Coveney, “marks a very low point in the UK’s approach to Brexit.”
Mr. Sefcovic tweeted that unilateral action by the United Kingdom was “harmful to mutual trust and a recipe for uncertainty.”
However, in an interview with LBC, Mr. Johnson stated, “This is a necessary bureaucratic change. It’s a rather minor set of modifications.”
The Prime Minister stated that it would be a “gross, gross overreaction” for the European Union to respond with trade restrictions.
The UK and EU agreed to the agreement to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic following Brexit.
Northern Ireland remains subject to many EU regulations, and there are checks on British-bound goods, thus erecting a border in the Irish Sea.
Hardline This, according to Brexiteers, threatens Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom, and Democratic Unionists have refused to engage in power-sharing until the problem is resolved.
The prime minister told broadcasters, “We have a dilemma right now, which is that the Northern Ireland government cannot convene due to the impact of the protocol.
“It creates unnecessary trade hurdles between the east and west.
“What we can do is remedy the situation. It’s not a big deal; we can eliminate these bureaucratic impediments without impeding north-to-south trade on the island of Ireland.
According to Sir Philip Rycroft, the former permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, Britain’s commercial relationship with Europe could be jeopardized if the government maintains its current course of action.
He stated, “There is a chance of a full-scale trade war with the EU, which would result in the EU withdrawing from not only the protocol but the entire trade and cooperation agreement – and given the current health of the British economy, this is the last thing we need.
Ms. Truss stated on Monday, after discussing the legislation with Mr. Sefcovic, that the United Kingdom still desired a negotiated solution, but that “the EU must be willing to alter the convention itself.”
Earlier, Environment Secretary George Eustice refuted the assertions of those who assert that the protocol is effective, stating that this was because the agreement had not yet been fully implemented.
“As a result of certain standstill measures, we are not currently doing any inspections on products moving from the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland,” he explained.
“There are several other temporary grace periods.
This law will establish a long-term, permanent solution, which is what is required.
When asked about the CBI’s concerns that a war over the protocol with the EU may harm the economy, he responded, “I deal closely with a large number of firms.
The truth is that the majority of major merchants, such as Marks & Spencer, Tesco, and others, who transport highly complicated, composite loads to Northern Ireland, know that if the protocol were fully enforced, their business models could not continue.
In general, businesses do want us to resolve this issue.
Ms. Truss outlined the intention for legislation to supersede portions of the procedure last month, citing the need to respond to a “very grave and terrible situation.”
She stated that the measure will keep components that were effective while addressing those that were not, including the mobility of products, goods regulation, value-added tax, subsidy control, and governance.
It could enable ministers to eliminate customs procedures for commodities traveling within the United Kingdom and facilitate the seamless flow of agri-food products remaining in the UK.
It might also result in firms in Northern Ireland having the option of following UK or EU standards, depending on their trading partners.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sophie that the new plan is “legal” and “right,” but that there will undoubtedly be pushback from within the ranks of the Conservatives.
The Financial Times reports that people opposed to the bill have circulated a note stating, “Breaking international law to break up the prime minister’s treaty is detrimental to everything the UK and Conservatives stand for.”
