The European Union could denounce the entire Brexit deal if the British government decides to suspend parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Financial Times reported, citing the Irish Foreign Minister.
Simon Cowney said the UK seemed ready to realize its threat to trigger the Article 16 suspension mechanism under the post-Brexit agreements on trade in the Irish Sea.
He said the Conservative administration appears to be laying the groundwork to make the move when the UN climate conference in Glasgow ends, FOCUS reports.
Cowney assured that the EU would respond “in a very serious way” to such a unilateral act.
“I believe that if the British government essentially refuses to implement the protocol, even with the extreme flexibility that is being offered now, and instead seeks to try to ignore it, then I think the EU will respond very seriously.” he told RTE Radio One.
“This means that the trade and cooperation agreement that was agreed between the British government and the EU depends on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, which includes the protocol. One depends on the other. So, if one is left aside, there is a danger that the other will also be denounced by the EU, “Cowney explained.
The Irish Foreign Minister expressed hope that a trade war could be avoided and expressed the view that neither Brussels nor London was ready for a trade war.
“I think it is important for people like me and others who have been involved in this process to make clear to the British government the consequences of what they are considering doing in the context of the triggering of Article 16,” he said.
“I think I have a responsibility to perhaps set aside the diplomatic language I am expected to use as foreign minister and be a little more direct about the consequences of that, as the prime minister did. [Майкъл Мартин] this week. This would be a significant act that would damage relations between Britain and Ireland and put enormous pressure on the parties in Northern Ireland, “said Dublin’s first diplomat.
He insisted that the EU was in a “decision mode” and could go “a little further” in trying to streamline the checks needed for goods moving from the UK to Northern Ireland.
However, he warned that there was a limit to the EU’s flexibility and criticized the UK government for adopting the tactic of asking for a lot, offering nothing in return.
Negotiations between London and Brussels on the protocol remain stalemate and there is growing speculation that the UK government is ready to trigger Article 16 later this month. The United Kingdom Government has repeatedly warned that it will proceed to unilaterally suspend elements of the protocol if no agreed result is reached.
The supervisory role of the European Court of Justice in monitoring the operation of the Protocol remains a key issue in the negotiations to resolve its problems.
Cowney suggested that the EU could offer more flexibility in reducing checks on agri-food products, but he did not mention any potential move in the face of thorny opposition to the European Court of Justice.
Cowney criticized the UK’s strategy in negotiations with the EU and said London essentially wanted to completely rewrite the protocol – formally agreed last year between the two countries.
“The tactics for negotiations between the British government, the prime minister and Lord Frost were very consistent – it was to offer nothing and keep asking for more,” he said. “In the short term, this is a successful negotiation tactic, because throughout this year, every month, the EU has been trying to provide new solutions, new answers, new compromises, more flexibility and so on. But at one point, the EU said, “As long as we don’t negotiate with a partner who acts in good faith.”
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