The British government wants to unilaterally change the Brexit regulation for Northern Ireland agreed with Brussels. Foreign Minister Liz Trus said that a draft law presented on Monday was necessary to ensure stability and peace in the former troubled province. A trade war with the EU is looming.
The British government has officially proposed to unilaterally make significant changes to the customs arrangements with the EU for the British province of Northern Ireland. Foreign Minister Liz Truss presented a corresponding draft law in London on Monday. This provides a “reasonable, practical solution to the problems in Northern Ireland” and does not violate international law, she assured.
The EU Commission immediately reacted with sharp criticism. Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said that Brussels was “with great concern” about the British government’s decision. “Unilateral measures are detrimental to mutual trust.”
The so-called Northern Ireland Protocol is part of the Brexit agreement between Brussels and London. It has regulated the status of British provinces since Britain left the EU almost a year and a half ago. The British government is now resisting the customs controls on trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain provided for in the agreement it negotiated and signed itself.
London had agreed to this regulation to prevent controls at the inner-Irish border, as this could endanger the peace process in the former troubled region. The EU had granted practical simplifications for the controls, but rejected a fundamental revision of the protocol. Brussels sees unilateral changes to the text as a violation of international law.
The Commission will now examine the draft law, Sefcovic said. “As a first step”, the continuation of legal proceedings initiated against the British government in March 2021 is being considered. “We suspended this procedure in September 2021 in a spirit of constructive cooperation to make room to find common solutions. The UK’s unilateral action goes directly against that spirit,” said Commission Vice-President Sefcovic.
