Britain hopes to resolve uncertainties related to Northern Ireland / Article

This opinion was expressed by the prime ministers of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Even representatives of the European Commission admit that the differences are not that great, but one of the main prerequisites is that London accepts Brussels’ offers.

Since Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, the question of Northern Ireland’s future status in the United Kingdom and its relationship to the neighboring Republic of Ireland has been one of the unresolved sources of controversy. The original text of the Brexit deal states that Northern Ireland must remain in the European Union’s single market for goods to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

The solution satisfies Northern Ireland’s nationalists but has angered unionists who believe that after Brexit, Northern Ireland will be treated differently from the rest of the UK.

London also believes that the post-Brexit customs border in the Irish Sea has significantly affected trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

While Britain has long continued to be plagued by domestic political upheaval, relations with its neighbors were far from being at the forefront of the political agenda. However, talks between the two sides resumed last month. The UK still wants to significantly reduce the customs charge on the transport of goods across the Irish Sea and also wants to completely waive the European Court of Justice’s final say in any disputes with Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the current state of play of the negotiations, the Foreign Minister of Ireland, Simon Coveney, expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached by the end of this year.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressed similar determination last week during a meeting with his Irish counterpart Michal Martin. He attended a British-Irish Council meeting, becoming the first British Prime Minister to attend since Gordon Brown in 2007.

“We need to find practical solutions to many of the challenges facing households and businesses. We need to protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK. This will require everyone to enter these negotiations with goodwill and pragmatism. I’m sure if we can do it, if we can cooperate, we will find a way out.”

During the meeting, Sunak also promised that Northern Ireland’s government would be restored soon. The creation of a power-sharing government has been effectively stalled since February, with the Democratic Unionist Party blocking government formation and calling for changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The UK has said it will give Northern Ireland’s political parties more time without holding new elections. This could mean that London hopes to reach an agreement with the European Union that is also acceptable to Northern Irish unionists.

For his part, Irish Prime Minister Martin also admitted that a window of opportunity had opened up.

“It is absolutely clear to me that the Prime Minister wants to reach an agreement through negotiations. With the postponement of the elections, a window of opportunity has opened up to reach a final decision. The British government and the European Union are determined to get involved and see if we can reach such an agreement”.

Last week, Maroš Ševčovič, the European Commission vice-president in charge of Brexit negotiations, admitted that in reality the differences with London are not that big.

Speaking to British MPs, he admitted that if the UK abandons the so-called North Korea Protocol Act, which unilaterally scraps several points of the Brexit deal, and accepts offers from the European Union, customs controls in the Irish Sea will become practically invisible.

At the same time, Ševčovič stressed that Brussels does not want to win a political victory over London in this protracted dispute.

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