Commission: The developments in Britain do not affect our position on the Northern Ireland protocol

The European Commission today declined to comment on the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, noting that its stance on the post-Brexit Northern Ireland impasse will not be affected by political developments in Britain.

“Regarding events in the United Kingdom (…) we have no comment to make on democratic processes in third countries,” said a spokesman for the EU’s executive body.

Another spokesman noted that there would be no change in the EU’s approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is part of the Brexit deal struck between Britain and the EU.

“For our part, the political developments do not change our position on the protocol or the way we work with our British counterparts on Northern Ireland,” he noted.

“Our position is that we have to look for solutions in terms of the implementation of the protocol,” he continued.

The Johnson government has proposed legislation that would allow Britain to scrap some of the rules governing trade with Northern Ireland after Brexit, which received an initial approval from parliament last week.

The EU states that this bill violates international law.

With the Northern Ireland Protocol, Brussels and London sought to prevent the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member country Ireland, keeping the British province inside the EU’s single market for goods.

SOURCE: APE-ME