The negotiations between the United Kingdom and Brussels are not in the best place, everything seems to indicate that the European Commission is running out of patience with the government of Boris Johnson and the negotiations on how the Brexit agreements will be applied in Northern Ireland .
The two parties have had a meeting in which it was planned to resolve the situation regarding the application of the protocol for Northern Ireland, however, but the United Kingdom threatens to suspend it, threatens to activate article 16, which allows one of the parties suspend the agreement without having previously agreed with the other party.
The vice president and head of Brexit, Maros Sefcovic mentions the following: “So far the UK has not moved, at all. I find this disappointing and once again urge the British Government to be sincerely involved [en las negociaciones]”It also issued a warning:” Invoking article 16 of the protocol would have serious consequences for Northern Ireland and for relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom in general. “
In addition to the above, he mentions that it is necessary that, in the next meeting with the United Kingdom, they begin to bear fruit since the last meetings have not had clear progress. For his part, David Frost, the UK negotiator, mentioned after the last meeting with the Brussels representative “that progress had been limited, and that the gaps between the parties could still be bridged with further negotiations.”
According to Sefcovic, the European Commission has been collaborating strongly with the United Kingdom, changes have been made that would lead to less bureaucracy and phytosanitary controls up to 80% less on products entering from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. Northern Ireland is a fundamental piece in the Brexit agreement, since it wants to avoid having a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. Sefcovic mentions that activating Article 16 would have an impact on the stability of Northern Ireland, both for citizens and companies; in addition, it would have a bearing on the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom “because it will mean rejecting the efforts to find a consensual solution to implement the protocol.”
Likewise, the issue of the “fishing war” between Paris and London has been discussed, due to the licenses that have been denied to French fishing boats.
“The trade and cooperation agreement is clear,” said Sefcovic: “The vessels that were fishing in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom and the dependencies of the British crown must be allowed to continue. [Jersey]. All French vessels are entitled to a license. ‘
For his part, Frost has reiterated that the UK has licensed 98% of EU vessels seeking to fish in British waters, representing almost 1,700 vessels, in line with its obligations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, It has also mentioned that vessels must provide evidence of their fishing activity at a historical level “to receive a license”.
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