Dublin, 17 Feb. The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) acknowledged on Friday that there was “progress” in negotiations on the Brexit protocol for Northern Ireland, but warned that there was still “some areas that need work”.
Its leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, indicated he had yet to see the “final text” of a possible deal after meeting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Belfast today, hinting that “there will be clearly no more talks” between London and Brussels.
“This is a key moment, the next generation of Northern Irish people need all of us, especially the Prime Minister and the European Commission, to work collectively to solve these problems and come to a context where political institutions can be restored,” said the trade union leader.
Donaldson was referring to his party, the second force,’s rejection of the aforementioned protocol in its current form, which led him to abandon the autonomous power-sharing executive a year ago and reject the formation of a government. with the nationalist Sinn Féin, the first regional formation, until it is replaced by acceptable arrangements.
“The decisions that will be taken by the Prime Minister and the European Commission will condemn Northern Ireland to a new division or pave the way for reconciliation and the restoration of institutions,” insisted Donaldson.
He said he was “hopeful” that the parties could reach an agreement, but said he was not interested in “times”, but rather “well done”.
Among the thorny issues of the protocol, Donaldson hinted at the role the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) would play in trade disputes that arise in Northern Ireland.
“When we trade within the UK we will have to follow UK standards and rules, that is our strong position. When we trade with the European Union, the products we want to sell to the EU will of course have to Complying with EU standards is true for the whole of the UK,” he explained.
The protocol, agreed by London and Brussels to avoid a physical border between the two Irelands, keeps Northern Ireland in the Community and British internal market, so that controls on trade between the United Kingdom and the EU are carried out at Northern Irish entry points, which has brought about a new bureaucracy which affects trade.
This trade border located in the Irish Sea is also a political barrier for the Protestant Unionist community, which argues that it differentiates the province and endangers its relations with the rest of the United Kingdom, especially now that the nationalists want to advance towards their objective history. to reunite the island of Ireland.