Budapest Post

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

UK will have 'no choice but to act' if EU does not show 'flexibility' over NI protocol

UK will have 'no choice but to act' if EU does not show 'flexibility' over NI protocol

Since the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020 the protocol has been a point of friction between Westminster, Belfast and the EU.

The UK will have "no choice but to act" if the EU does not show the "requisite flexibility" over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Liz Truss has warned.

Following a call between the foreign secretary and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, a foreign office spokesperson said that Ms Truss made clear that the arrangement was "the greatest obstacle" to forming a new Northern Ireland executive.

"The foreign secretary noted this with regret and said the situation in Northern Ireland is a matter of internal peace and security for the United Kingdom, and if the EU would not show the requisite flexibility to help solve those issues, then as a responsible government we would have no choice but to act," a spokesperson from the department said.

The phone call between Ms Truss and Mr Sefcovic was described by one source as "tetchy".

Downing Street said "no decisions have been taken" with regards to the protocol, adding: "We will continue to see what, if any, progress can be made."

Boris Johnson, speaking during a cabinet away-day in Stoke-on-Trent, said - when pressed on whether the wording of the protocol needed to be changed: "We need to get the Executive, we need to get the Government of Northern Ireland up and running - and that's vital."

When asked if he was side-stepping the question, the PM said: "No, not at all, it follows since it's clear that the Unionist community won't accept the Protocol, that's I'm afraid obvious from what has happened, we've got to fix it, and we'll have to."

Following the conversation between Ms Truss and Mr Sefcovic, the European Commission vice-president said it was "simply not acceptable" for the UK to threaten to unilaterally suspend parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

"It continues to be of serious concern that the UK Government intends to embark on the path of unilateral action," Mr Sefcovic said.

He added: "Such unilateral action will also undermine the conditions which are essential for Northern Ireland to continue to have access to the EU single market for goods."

Since the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020 the protocol has been a point of friction between Westminster, Belfast and the EU.

The UK and EU agreed to put the mechanism in place after Brexit to avoid the introduction of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Lorries can continue to cross the border from Northern Ireland into the Republic without having paperwork and goods checked - as they did when the UK was in the EU.

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke on the phone on Thursday


But in order to protect the integrity of Europe's single market, products from Great Britain entering Northern Ireland have had to undergo EU import procedures at the ports, effectively creating a new border in the Irish Sea.

That is something Boris Johnson had promised would not happen and is particularly opposed by unionists - though they and the UK government say the implementation of the protocol is creating dificulties for businesses and consumers across Northern Ireland's communities.

The issue was brought to a head by last week's Northern Ireland assembly elections, in which the nationalists of Sinn Fein became the largest party for the first time.

But the DUP - the largest unionist party - must agree to share power for a new administration to get up and running, something it says it will not do until the protocol issue is ironed out.

Earlier on Thursday, senior government figures close to the negotiations between the UK and the EU over the protocol told Sky News they did not expect an agreement to be reached.

UK Attorney General Suella Braverman is said to have approved the scrapping of swathes of the agreement, giving Mr Johnson legal cover to make the move, despite warnings from Joe Biden's White House and European leaders not to single-handedly meddle with the terms.

Sky News understands that legal advice has been drawn up and shown to some cabinet ministers.

Earlier this week, the foreign secretary had warned she would "not shy away" from taking action as she accused the EU of proposing solutions that would "take us backwards".

Officials working for Ms Truss are drawing up draft legislation to unilaterally remove the need for checks on all goods being sent from Britain for use in Northern Ireland.

The proposed law would allow businesses in Northern Ireland to disregard EU rules and regulations and remove the power of the European Court of Justice to rule on issues relating to the region.

Crucially, it would in parts override the protocol agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019 and mean the UK had breached its obligations under the Brexit agreement.

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
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×