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Northern Ireland prepares unilateral change to Northern Ireland Protocol

British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras told Times Radio today that the EU had no reason to react negatively to the bill that was submitted to the British Parliament yesterday, Monday, to change the Protocol of Northern Ireland.

“The solution we are proposing does not make the situation in the EU worse. We continue to protect the single market, to provide data to the EU, and we are confident that companies will not break the rules. So there is absolutely no reason for the EU to react. “negative in what we do”, stressed Tras.

The minister reiterated that this is a “logical and practical solution”, which will solve the problems that have been created. Britain’s goal is to ease controls on products moving from Britain to Northern Ireland.

This bill, among other things, provides for the creation of two zones. The first, the green zone, with almost no controls and bureaucracy, will only target the Northern Ireland market. The second, the red zone, will be created for products destined for Ireland and other EU countries.

According to the official position of the United Kingdom, the bill is necessary to maintain the Good Friday Agreement. At the same time, he points out that these are necessary changes, “as otherwise the political stability of the region is endangered”. It is worth noting that the Democratic Unionist Party, which came second in the recent Northern Ireland local elections, refuses to consent to the formation of a government, as required by the Good Friday Agreement, unless the Protocol is changed first. That is why, since the beginning of May, a government has not yet been formed by this parliament.

The EU, on the other hand, argues that changing the Northern Ireland Protocol is a unilateral action, in breach of international law. That is why, at every opportunity, Brussels emphasizes that London must be ready to suffer the consequences of its actions. This view is shared by both British legal circles and even members of the ruling Conservative Party. The Times notes that the British government’s moves “risk damaging Britain’s international reputation while creating new business uncertainty at a time of unprecedented financial challenges”. At the same time, 52 of the 90 lawmakers in Northern Ireland’s local parliament condemned the Johnson Government bill.

The Northern Ireland Protocol, which is included in the UK Exit Agreement (Brexit), stipulates that all goods traded between Northern Ireland and the UK will be subject to customs and regulatory controls. The two sides, after much negotiation, reached this solution in order not to impose a “hard” border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The text acknowledges the “special circumstances prevailing on the island of Ireland” and the need to “preserve the Good Friday Agreement” which put an end to the long-running Protestant-Catholic conflict that resulted in the loss of his life. thousands of people.

In any case, the bill for changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol will take several months before it becomes law and is implemented by Britain.

Source: AMPE

Source: Capital

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