The Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture has announced that he is ending customs controls on goods from the UK. A key point of the so-called Protocol for Northern Ireland. And according to the European Commission, this does not help the dialogue between Brussels and London.
“As is well known, we signed the Protocol with the British Government, with His Majesty’s Government, so it is up to the Government of the United Kingdom to comply with the agreement,” explained Eric Mamer, spokesman for the community executive.
Just hours after the news broke, Northern Ireland’s unionist chief minister, Paul Givan, has resigned, bringing about the fall of the government. Which adds to the concern on the other side of the Irish border.
“This means uncertainty, instability, tension, polarization and bad politics in Northern Ireland. I also believe that whatever British Government ministers may say today, the facts are very clear, the British Government has an obligation to deliver on the international law and the treaties it has signed. And this includes the implementation of controls linked to the Protocol,” said Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland.
British and European negotiators have met this Thursday, but the results have been minimal.
Brussels sources acknowledge that the UK-EU trade deal is in jeopardy.