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The European Union (EU) has refused to abandon its agreements with the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland. If the British government diligently turns the agreements unilaterally, it will fear legal action, says Moroz Cefkovic, the European Commissioner in charge.
The government in London wants to remove the so-called protocol for Northern Ireland, which will ensure that there will be no tighter border between the United Kingdom-owned Northern Ireland and EU member state Ireland after Brexit. This could affect the precious peace between pro-Irish Catholics and pro-British Protestants on the island. But this protocol complicates trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of England and compels the Northern Irish to follow the rules of Brussels, London laments.
But unilaterally changing bond agreements is not possible, Cefkovic says, with “considerable concern.” It “damages mutual trust”. “The EU will not reconsider its protocol,” he reiterated. There is no alternative to the “subtle balance” discovered in Northern Ireland after lengthy negotiations, he said.
Legal action
So Brussels is going to see if the previous legal proceedings against London can be continued any further. In the hope of finding a harmonious solution, the panel last year discontinued the so-called violation procedure, Chefkovic recalled. He did not rule out the possibility of bringing the UK to European courts and initiating new similar complaint procedures that could result in higher fines.
Cefkovic also cites countermeasures that could affect British trade. He pointed out that the trade agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom was based on Brexit agreements, including Northern Ireland. “Today’s decision of the British government undermines the confidence needed to cooperate in that agreement,” the European Commissioner warned.
But Brussels still wants to do it with London, Chefkovic insists. According to him, the EU has always understood the difficulties posed by agreements and put forward plans to address them. The panel will soon announce plans for a “flexible introduction to the protocol” as it will provide ample space. The European Commissioner calls on the British government to “work with us on joint solutions”.
Source: ANP
