Original title: Northern Ireland’s trade issue is deadlocked after Brexit, and Britain’s request to re-talk is rejected. Source: China News
According to a comprehensive report, on the 21st local time, the London authorities asked Brussels to agree to negotiate a new agreement to regulate trade issues involving Northern Ireland after Brexit, but they did not unilaterally abandon the relevant parts of the “break-up agreement” reached with the EU. The EU immediately refused to re-negotiate the matter, saying it would seek other solutions.
On the 21st local time, European Commission Vice President Sevkovic issued a statement stating that the European Union refused to renegotiate the trade arrangements for Northern Ireland after Brexit.
He said that the EU will continue to seek creative solutions within the framework of the protocol negotiated with the British government, but “we will not agree to renegotiate.”
According to reports, the United Kingdom and the European Union have reached the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the 2020 Brexit agreement.
All parties worry that if there is a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, it may lead to violent conflict and undermine the peace agreement signed in 1998 with the US mediation.
Sevkovic emphasized that the purpose of the agreement is to protect peace in Northern Ireland. To achieve this goal, the agreement must be implemented, and respect for international legal obligations is essential.
The Northern Ireland Protocol basically requires customs clearance inspections for goods traveling between the British island and Northern Ireland, but these regulations are difficult for companies to do, and they also allow the “pro-British factions” who firmly support Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Disgusted.
Since Britain’s full Brexit at the beginning of the year, many British companies have either stopped selling to Northern Ireland or reduced their sales to the local area because they were dissatisfied with the new bureaucratic regulations.
Chain retailer Marks and Spencer said that in accordance with the current protocol, empty shelves may appear in Northern Ireland stores at Christmas 2021.
On the 21st local time, Frost, a Brexit official, emphasized: “We cannot continue like this.”
He told the British Parliament that the United Kingdom has legitimate reasons to activate Article 16 of the protocol, which allows any party to be unintended and adversely affected by the agreement, and it can take unilateral actions to abolish the clause. “Obviously, there are reasons to activate Article 16. Nevertheless, we decided that this is not the time to do so.”
Frost said: “We see an opportunity to take different approaches to find new ways to reach consensus with the EU through consultations and reach a new balance in our arrangements covering Northern Ireland to benefit all parties.”
On the other hand, the spokesperson of British Prime Minister Johnson stated on the same day that the United Kingdom hopes that the EU will spend some time considering London’s proposal to amend the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit agreement. “We have been talking for a while, that is, the implementation of the protocol is unacceptable and urgently needs to be resolved.”
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