Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Brexit: EU and UK at odds over Northern Ireland renegotiation

Brexit: EU and UK at odds over Northern Ireland renegotiation

Brussels remains mistrustful of British government, which objects to ECJ being final arbiter of EU law
An uneasy Christmas truce has been called over the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland, even as the EU said it would not negotiate over a key British demand in the rancorous talks.

Maroš Šefčovič, the EU Brexit commissioner, said there was “momentum” behind discussions after a major British U-turn, but refused to offer quid pro quo concessions.

Downing Street has conceded in recent weeks that it will prioritise removing barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland over other constitutional issues that have bedevilled the talks. Talks will be suspended until after Christmas.

But in a blow to the British government, the commissioner on Friday refused even to engage with its demand for any renegotiation over the role of the European court of justice (ECJ) in the enforcement of EU law in Northern Ireland, despite a UK concession that the court could retain a role in the protocol.

“It was not disputed at all until the summer of this year and therefore the topic we are not ready to include in our discussions,” said Šefčovič, the EU commissioner in charge of UK relations.

Under a protocol of the withdrawal agreement, Northern Ireland in effect remains within the EU’s single market and the bloc’s customs border is drawn down the Irish sea. The EU court is the final arbiter of disputes.

The British government, however, wants an independent arbitration system rather than giving the ECJ the last say, although in recent days it has accepted the court in Luxembourg will resolve questions about EU law if issues come to arbitration.

A potential solution exists in the post-Brexit trade agreement and the EU’s deal with Switzerland. But the European Commission said on Friday that this model was not feasible – yet.

A senior EU official said the protocol was “completely different” to the EU trade agreement with Switzerland, because the Northern Ireland agreement was based on “the direct application of reams of EU legislation”, rather than “elements of EU law, which are referred to or paraphrased” as in the deal with Berne. “It was judged that this arbitral solution was not sufficient, and that you needed the full powers of the court of justice,” the official said.

Another barrier is that the commission refuses to reopen an agreement that was signed by Boris Johnson little more than two years ago.

There is agreement to extend a standstill arrangement beyond 1 January to avoid the full implementation of customs on meat and agricultural imports.

But Brussels remains mistrustful of the British government. “The fundamental stumbling block is that we need the UK to move back into a logic of the implementation of an agreement that it negotiated, signed and ratified,” said a senior official.

The two sides are also at odds over the process of the talks. While British officials have spoken of “a staged approach”, where issues are agreed one by one, the EU would like a single agreement.

Customs and health checks remain a major stumbling block in the talks. While the EU considers it has made a generous offer to cut red tape, the UK argues that its claims to remove 50% of customs checks and 80% of health checks do not stand up.

The EU announced on Friday it would rewrite its rules on medicines to ensure life-saving treatments and everyday drugs remained available in Northern Ireland, after threats to supply emerged. Without a change to the rules or grace period, medicine manufacturers based in Great Britain had warned they could cease supplying products to Northern Ireland, because of the extra costs imposed by red tape.

Hundreds of medicines used by the NHS in Northern Ireland were at risk. The commission has now proposed that new medicines for Northern Ireland can be authorised by the UK, even if they have yet to be approved by the EU regulator.

Under the proposals, quality control checks, so called “batch testing”, would not need to be repeated in Northern Ireland, if they had already been carried out in Great Britain or the EU. The proposals have to be agreed by EU lawmakers and ministers before coming into force.

Meanwhile, the French EU minister Clément Beaune said Paris would “in the coming days” begin proceedings against the UK over fishing licences it said Britain still owed a small number of French boats to allow them to operate in British waters.

“The next step will be to ask the commission in the coming days to convene the partnership council, as provided for under the Brexit trade deal to settle a problem,” Beaune said, adding that the procedure would target “the most urgent” cases.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×