Britain has begun to try to rewrite drastically Northern Ireland The Brexit agreement signed by Boris Johnson in 2019 believes that, given the “continuous political climate” in the region, “we cannot continue like we do now”.
But when he announced the blueprint for Britain’s alternative plan, the Brexit Secretary of State did not completely tear up the document, nor did he argue that it was time to trigger the Brexit agreement. Article 16 Provisions This allows the UK or the EU to suspend certain arrangements in extreme circumstances.
“These proposals will require major changes to the Northern Ireland Agreement,” David Frost said. “We do not shy away from this. We believe this change is necessary to deal with the situation we are facing now.”
In the foreword to the 28-page document, Lord Frost and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis stated that these proposals “will not exempt many of their [Northern Ireland protocol] Concept”, but hope to create “a stronger long-term basis for the realization of common interests.” They added that the situation in Northern Ireland has made “all parties” “unsatisfied”.
In his speech in the House of Lords, Frost called for the establishment of a “new balance” in the agreement to resolve the issue of commercial disruption and trade barriers in the Irish Sea.
He stated that negotiations with the EU “have not reached the core of the problem” and called for a temporary “pause”, including the suspension of all EU legal actions and a grace period to allow continued trade in commodities, such as frozen meat, including sausages.
Frost told colleagues that “we should return to a normal treaty framework similar to other international arrangements”, which is in line with the report last year by Boris Johnson’s former chief assistant Dominique Cummings who persuaded members of the European Research Group to vote for the EU. Echoes. Agreement because it can be changed later.
Britain also wants to cancel the participation of EU institutions and the European Court of Justice in the supervision and management of the agreement, which will be a curse of Brussels.
Frost stated that the UK is “willing to explore special arrangements around data sharing and cooperation” and “legislative penalties to prevent those who wish to transfer non-compliant products from Northern Ireland to Ireland”.
The latter echoes the “honesty box” concept first proposed in 2019. As an alternative to Irish border support, supporters say that this will eliminate the need for border inspections and allow companies to self-report goods through an online mobile VAT payment system.
“The difficulties we have in implementing the Northern Ireland agreement are now the main obstacle to establishing relations with the EU,” Frost warned, adding that there is still time to reach a new agreement instead of triggering Article 16 and walking away.
“We concluded that now is not the right time to do this,” Frost said.
“This is not the time to establish a new balance in which both the UK and the EU can invest, provide a platform for peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland, and allow us to embark on a new path of partnership with the EU.”
He told the House of Lords that the agreement had led to a reduction in the supermarket product line on store shelves in Belfast and other areas, and 200 suppliers had decided not to supply the area.
He also stated that 20% of all document checks for animal-derived products entering the European Union were carried out in Northern Ireland, which has a population of only 1.8 million.
“Worse, with the end of the grace period, these burdens will worsen over time rather than improve,” he said.
