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UK sets out new law to fix post-Brexit trade with N. Ireland
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he United Kingdom set out steps on Tuesday to try to break the deadlock with the European Union on post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, lining up a new law that will effectively override parts of a deal that would only inflame ties with Brussels.
In a statement to parliament, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss explained planned legislation that would ease the movement of goods, apply the British tax regime in Northern Ireland and hand London more say over the laws governing the province.
She said the legislation would not break international law and would not be brought in immediately, underlining the British government's desire to press on with parallel talks with Brussels to try to find a negotiated solution.
But despite EU warnings over taking unilateral action, the new law would change parts of the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which effectively created a maritime customs border between the province and the rest of the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to the protocol in 2019 to allow Britain to leave the EU's single market and customs union without controls being reimposed on the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, a vital part of the 1998 Good Friday peace deal that ended three decades of violence.
Striking a deal that preserved peace in Northern Ireland and protected the EU's single market was always the biggest challenge for London as it embarked on its exit from the bloc.
The two sides have been trying for months to overcome a deadlock over the protocol, which London agreed before it left the EU but now says in many ways is now unworkable.
"I am announcing our intention to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make changes to the protocol," Truss told parliament, to jeers from the opposition. "Our preference remains a negotiated solution with the EU and in parallel with the legislation being introduced, we remain open to further talks."
The move to outline the legislation, which foresees a "green channel" for those goods moving only from Britain to Northern Ireland and no further, was approved by Johnson's cabinet team of top ministers.
On Monday, Johnson said the government needed an "insurance" option to be able to unilaterally override some post-Brexit trade rules because the protocol as it stands was threatening a hard-won peace in the British-ruled province.
'Not been pleasant'
The EU has repeatedly said any trade difficulties must be resolved within the parameters of the protocol.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said last week that the EU would launch legal action and possibly impose countermeasures if London took unilateral action.
The EU's financial services commissioner, Ireland's Mairead McGuinness, said the bloc was a little confused as to what to expect.
"Any threats or veiled threats or unilateral action does very little to actually unlock the potential of the protocol," she told Irish broadcaster RTE. "Political will is required, I hope today we will see some semblance of that, not some very hard unilateral action."
Britain has postponed bringing in many of the checks foreseen by the protocol, which has snarled some foodstuffs in red tape at a time when food and energy prices are rising, fueling recession concerns.
It also has used shock tactics in the past to try to force talks with the EU. In 2020, British officials used the threat of the Internal Market Bill to "shake things up", but the most controversial parts of it were dropped when agreement was reached with the EU.
The outcome of regional elections in Northern Ireland increased pressure on Johnson to introduce changes to the protocol after unionists refused to join a new administration unless there were changes to the trading rules.
