President of the European Commission, Ursula von Delane, Rejected Boris Johnson’s move to renegotiate the Northern Ireland agreement, which raised the temperature of the brewing Brexit dispute.
“The EU will continue to exert creativity and flexibility within the framework of the agreement. But we will not renegotiate,” she said after a phone call with the prime minister on Thursday.
EU sources said that the call lasted about 30 minutes, and Von der Lein made it clear that they had made the call at Johnson’s request.
Although not unexpected, her refusal-less than 24 hours after the government set off Plan to renegotiate core parts of the Brexit agreement – The blow to Johnson, who repeatedly falsely claimed that there would be No customs inspection Between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The EU has united to oppose the British rewrite of the blueprint for the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is a painstaking agreement reached with Johnson in 2019 to establish a customs border in the Irish Sea.
In the official reading of the Prime Minister’s call with von der Lein, a Downing Street spokesperson reiterated the British government’s reason for requesting renegotiation. “The Prime Minister pointed out that the current mode of operation of the agreement is unsustainable. A solution cannot be found through the agreement’s existing mechanisms. That is why we have proposed major changes to it.
“He urged the EU to seriously consider these proposals and cooperate with the UK. There is a huge opportunity to find reasonable and practical solutions to the difficulties faced by people and businesses. Northern Ireland, So that the relationship between the UK and the EU is on a better foundation. They agreed to keep in touch. “
The Chancellor made the same point in a separate call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Johnson’s spokesperson stated that the Prime Minister “did not expect the EU to adopt such a pure and extremist approach” to implement the agreement, but could not point out any violations of the agreement by Brussels.
The spokesman said: “People in Northern Ireland are facing some real-life problems that need to be resolved.” He added that the government has initiated a consultation aimed at “cutting expenditures”. Brexit Red tape”.
Johnson’s spokesperson stated that the prime minister does not want to cancel the agreement “at this time.”
The UK’s attempt to renegotiate has angered EU policymakers, who have proposed changes Mitigating the impact About citizens of Northern Ireland. Further adjustments are still possible, but the EU has ruled out the possibility of a full renegotiation.
A kind #Brexit Reminder: The Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated by the government. It was signed by the 🇬🇧 government. 🇬🇧 Parliament approved it. Its consequences are well known.
Looking forward to 🇬🇧 Is it too much to insist on the content of its negotiation, signing and approval?
-Sebastian Fisher (@SFischer_EU) July 21, 2021
A German government spokesperson tweeted in an unusually straightforward statement: “Is the expectations too high? [UK] Persist in the content of its negotiation, signing, and approval. “
An EU diplomat said that David Frost, the Brexit Secretary, put forward a “half-baked proposal” that contained difficult concepts. Lord Frost suggested that traders should be trusted to receive the least supervision of cargo transportation between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but Brussels opposed this. Brussels believed that such a system could be used by smugglers and companies to use two sets of rules to neglect their duties.
The goal of removing the European Court of Justice from the agreement also fell through. EU sources believe that Frost incorrectly described the role of the court in the agreement and exaggerated its importance.
The agreement emphasizes that the court is solely responsible for adjudicating EU legal issues. Officials said that this is the cornerstone of the EU legal order and cannot be changed.
The agreement also allows the British government to be sued in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and Brussels has filed a legal case Suspected violation.
British sources believe that the European Court of Justice is unusual in such an international treaty, and worry that the government’s room for maneuver will be restricted because it is seen as extremely rigid in the EU system.
The two sides will continue the talks. “It is wrong to ignore political issues, simply because [the UK] This agreement was signed,” the diplomat said, “even though I knew a lot of concerns from the beginning. “
