Consequent to the minister’s announcement plans of unilaterally changing a part of the Northern Ireland Brexit deal to be beneficial to the British Businesses, Brussels has announced that they will initiate legal action against this move.
It is said that the intended move will give the UK Supermarkets and suppliers what is called a “grace period” during which time they will be able to accustom themselves to the trade blocks across the Irish Sea.
But Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission, said that would be a “violation” of the protocol agreed with the UK. He also warned it would be the “second time that the UK government is set to breach international law”, following a similar row last year.
In a statement the European Commission said Šefčovič would inform Lord Frost, the minister who helped negotiate the Brexit deal that it would “respond to these developments in accordance with the legal means established by the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”
It added that the EU had “strong concerns over the UK’s unilateral action, as this amounts to a violation of the relevant substantive provisions of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the good faith obligation under the Withdrawal Agreement. This is the second time that the UK government is set to breach international law. This also constitutes a clear departure from the constructive approach that has prevailed up until now, thereby undermining…the mutual trust necessary for solution-oriented cooperation.”
The so-called “grace period” – a temporary relaxation of checks is due to expire at the end of this month. At that point supermarkets in Northern Ireland, which had struggled with supply problems since the government’s Brexit deal came into force on 1st January, expected to see their woes worsen. Since the Government’s Brexit deal came into being on 1st January, supermarkets in Northern Ireland which had to wrestle with supply issues were expecting to be more in despair and exacerbate their current situation.
But Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said the government would be “taking several temporary operational steps to avoid disruptive cliff-edges as engagement with the EU continues through the Joint Committee”.
Controversially he announced the new grace period would continue until at least 1st October. Brussels declined the requests made to the EU by Ministers for the grace period to be extended until the year 2023. Just as Brussels did, the Irish government too has condemned the UK government’s plans describing them as being “deeply unhelpful”.
Simon Coveney, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister said that continuation of the grace period unilaterally has damaged the UK’s commitment to the protocol. He said: “A unilateral announcement is deeply unhelpful to building the relationship of trust and partnership that is central to the implementation of the protocol.”
