U.K. and EU Set to Push Talks on Northern Ireland Into 2022
U.K. and EU Set to Push Talks on Northern Ireland Into 2022
(Bloomberg) -- The U.K and European Union are set to extend their negotiations over the post-Brexit future of Northern Ireland into 2022, as both sides seek a compromise that would avert a trade war.
Britain’s Brexit minister, David Frost, and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic are due to speak twice virtually this week and are expected to announce their talks will continue into the new year, according to two people familiar with the state of play, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A decision to continue with the talks is another sign of a recent reduction in tensions between the U.K. and the EU, following a period in October and November where it appeared that Britain might suspend the Brexit agreement over Northern Ireland. The U.K. has repeatedly said it would be justified in activating the so-called Article 16 provision -- which allows for parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol to be suspended -- but it is yet to carry out the threat.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment.
The two sides are close to an agreement over easing the flow of medicines into Northern Ireland but are still far apart on issues such as customs and the role of the European Court of Justice, one of the people said. On Friday, Frost said intensive talks would continue this week and he hoped to make “worthwhile progress towards agreed solutions before Christmas”.
The dispute over Northern Ireland has spoiled relations between the U.K. and EU since Brexit and the EU has discussed tearing up the entire post-Brexit trade deal if Britain were to activate Article 16. The EU considers that its tough stance has led to the U.K. backing down over Article 16, while the British government insists there has been no change in its willingness to use the provision.
Britain’s main complaint about the protocol is that it has reduced trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. due to the creation of an effective customs border in the Irish Sea, as agreed by Boris Johnson’s government. The U.K. argues that this is causing disruption in Northern Ireland and hence the protocol needs to be revised.
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