The UK government is said to be planning to unilaterally scrap the Northern Ireland Protocol. The project is unlikely to go down well in Belfast and Brussels.
London/Belfast – In the dispute over customs regulations for Northern Ireland, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss wants to scrap most of the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to a report in the British newspaper The Times. Accordingly, the Tory politician had come to the conclusion that the talks with the European Union (EU) were going nowhere. Furthermore, Maros Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission, does not have the mandate to reach an acceptable agreement.
The protocol aims to ensure that EU rules apply in Ireland without the need for strict border controls between the EU member and neighboring Northern Ireland, which belongs to Great Britain. Consequently, controls on the movement of goods have moved to the maritime border between Northern Ireland and the British Isles.
Northern Ireland protocol: Great Britain wants to lift controls unilaterally
The UK Foreign Office has drafted legislation that would unilaterally lift all controls on British goods. According to the Times report, a corresponding announcement is expected in the coming week. A ministry spokesman told Reuters: “No decisions have been made on how to proceed, but the situation is now very serious.”
Unionists from Northern Ireland, on the other hand, are bothered by the plans, as they see the project as the beginning of a separation from the United Kingdom. As a result of Brexit, London and Brussels have been negotiating a possible solution for months. (nak)
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