Today, Britain attempted to settle a dispute with the EU about Northern Ireland. It played down the possibility of unilateral action to remove hated goods controls.
Today, Brexit Minister Lord Frost will meet Maros Sefcovic from Brussels. He is expected to tell him that the UK would like a solution to the post-Brexit impasse.
Both sides disagree over the Northern Ireland Protocol. This protocol seeks to prevent a rigid customs frontier on Ireland’s island by creating one for goods that cross from Britain to Ulster.
Boris Johnson threatened unilaterally to halt checks using Article 16 in the protocol. This has been met with fury by the unionist community as well as complaints about how checks are affecting business.
Brussels warned that it could retaliate and throttle trade with Europe ahead of Christmas.
A private meeting was held by MEPs. Mr Sefcovic, vice-president of European Commission, stated that it will not be possible to achieve breakthroughs without the direct intervention of Prime Minister.
A Whitehall source told the Times today that using Article 16 was not a foregone concluding, saying; ‘Triggering Article 16 does not solve the problems we face. It would be impossible to achieve it even if we tried, but we still had to return to the table.
It came as Irish minister for European affairs Thomas Byrne warned the UK that a ‘tough guy’ approach when it comes to Northern Ireland will lead to ‘disaster’.
Today, Brexit Minister Lord Frost will meet Maros Sefcovic from Brussels. He is expected to tell him that the UK would like a solution to the post-Brexit impasse.
The vice president of the European Commission, Mr Sefcovic, told MEPs in a closed meeting that no progress will occur without direct intervention by the Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson, a unionist leader, threatened to unilaterally stop checks using Article 16, of the protocol. There has been fury among the unionists and complaints about the fact that the checks have become too costly.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Mr Byrne was asked if there were any dangers of a major trade war. He replied: “There’s a serious risk of complete instability within Northern Ireland. That’s why the Irish Government is motivated in all of its dealings with respect to the protocol.
The man said that the two countries had been working together over the decades for stability. However, he stated, “we now seem to have a split because of threats from the British Government to… suspend the protocol under Article 16”. It’s not clear exactly what this is about.
He was challenged on the situation in Northern Ireland, and his current arrangement. Both the Northern Ireland government and they must see each other working together.
Thomas Byrne, the Irish Minister for European Affairs warned that the UK will be unable to accept a tough approach to Northern Ireland.
According to him, the EU has heard the concerns of Northern Ireland, and it is now in “solutions mode”. He added that a hard approach or tough guy approach to Northern Ireland will only lead to catastrophe.
According to him, he was’very happy despite the gloomy environment’ that talks were taking place Friday. He also said that there is a price of stability in Northern Ireland and continued good diplomatic relations between Britain’s and the EU.
In October, EU presented a set of amendments to its protocol that would allow for the removal of 80 percent of goods checks between Northern Ireland (and the UK) mainland.
However, the UK Government is seeking further changes to the EU’s rules, such as the elimination of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which acts as arbitrators of disputes.
The negotiations over the protocol that is intended to keep free flowing borderless commerce on the island, Ireland, are still deadlocked.
Lord Frost stated to the House of Lords Wednesday that Article 16 would allow the UK to suspend certain elements of the arrangement if there was no resolution.
There was an opportunity to turn from confrontation, move past current difficulties, and create a new equilibrium in the discussions.
He said that Article 16 was not inevitable.
The Irish government has been in talks with the US administration regarding this protocol.
Simon Coveney (Irish Foreign Minister) stated Thursday that the contact between the US and Ireland was meant to “encourage progress” in negotiations.
This protocol keeps Northern Ireland within the EU’s single European market for goods. It also allows for some controls on products that cross the Irish Sea to Great Britain.