The British government’s move to sever post-Brexit trade agreements in Northern Ireland is “illegal and unrealistic”, warned the European Union’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Speaking to Sophie Ridge on Sky News, Sunday’s Joao Vale de Almeida said the steps taken by the Boris Johnson administration regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol were “a road to nowhere”.
But Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told the show that action was needed to address the “substantial problems” caused by the implementation of the agreement.
Differences emerged as lawmakers prepare to debate the controversial bill for the Northern Ireland Protocol on Monday.
Brussels has launched legal action against the United Kingdom in retaliation for the proposed legislation, which will effectively throw away key parts of the deal signed by Boris Johnson and the EU in 2019.
Critics have warned that this would violate international law and fuel mistrust of Britain.
The treaty, negotiated by the United Kingdom and the EU as a way to maintain a free Irish land border after Brexit, created economic barriers to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland, sparking outrage and anger among many unions and loyalists.
The dispute has created a dead end in efforts to form a decentralized government administration in Belfast.
The United Kingdom is planning unilateral action to introduce separate “green” and “red” lanes for goods traveling between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, drawing the line between those destined to remain in the United Kingdom and those destined for the Republic of Ireland and outside it.
But Mr Valle de Almeida said: “I am afraid that the government’s path is very likely, unfortunately, a path to nowhere and we would like to avoid that.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
11:20 NI protocol plan “road to nowhere”
Criticizing the UK government’s plan, he said: “We do not reject it, but we read it very carefully and we think it is very fair that it is both illegal and unrealistic.
“This is illegal because it is a violation of international law, a violation of EU law, UK law and international law.
“This is an agreement that we signed, ratified and even went through general elections in this country.”
The ambassador added: “We also think it is unrealistic because it does not provide a real alternative to the protocol.
“Did we know, we had long negotiations to try to form a circle around the problems created by Brexit and the type of Brexit that was chosen.
“None of us outside could find anything but this platform to try to solve these problems.
“We are committed to finding practical solutions to implement, but we cannot start talking if the starting point is to say that everything we have agreed on before should be put aside.”
Read more: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol and why does it matter? How long will the UK survive? The rupture of the trade deal with NI is “economic vandalism” – the Irish Prime Minister
The diplomat insisted the EU was “very committed to finding solutions”, but said control was needed to protect Northern Ireland’s Good Friday peace deal and protect the bloc’s single market.
However, defending the government, Mr Lewis said: “The problem with the protocol is the way the EU wants to see it implemented, and in fact, as a government, it would be wrong for us to leave the situation in Northern Ireland not working.
“What we’re doing is correcting the problems in the protocol on how it’s being implemented so that businesses can prosper again, so that people in Northern Ireland, who at the moment, for example, can’t even take advantage of the Chancellor on VAT and fuel tax, which have helped people in the rest of the UK. “
He argues that the current work of the protocol violates the Good Friday Agreement by preventing the return of power-sharing to Stormont.
He added: “We have to decide this, this legislation will do it, but in the end we want to do it with an agreement with the EU, but in order to do that, they have to show some flexibility and actually come and negotiate flexibly. . way. “
Add Comment