With senior officials already warning Johnson that he risks breaking up the union by going ahead with the plan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Irish counterpart Simon Coveney issued a rare joint statement condemning the UK for “unilaterally breaching an international agreement. “. Writing in the Observer, the two ministers suggest that Johnson’s determination to effectively bypass the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol, which he agreed two years ago, risks undermining the “rules-based international order” just as the continent trying to deal with Russia’s illegal. invasion of Ukraine. The two ministers say the recent Northern Ireland assembly election, which returned a majority of members in favor of the protocol, showed support for the current arrangements. They add that the EU has been and will continue to be “flexible and creative” to address issues that have hindered trade between the region and Great Britain. “Unfortunately, the UK government has chosen not to engage in good faith with these proposals,” they write. “Instead of the path of partnership and dialogue, the British government has chosen the unilateral approach. There is no legal or political justification for unilaterally violating an international agreement made only two years ago. Filing the legislation this month will not fix the challenges surrounding the protocol. Instead, it will create a new set of uncertainties and make it more difficult to find durable solutions. “In these difficult times, as Russia leads a merciless war in Ukraine, undermining our European peace order, the EU and the UK must stand together as partners with shared values and a commitment to support and strengthen the international order that it is based on rules. Leo Varadkar said the British government’s actions were disrespectful. “We urge the UK government to step back from its unilateral approach and show the same pragmatism and willingness to compromise that the EU has shown. By working together – in partnership and with mutual respect – common ground can be found and challenges, however difficult and if they are, they can be overcome.” The intervention shows a concerted effort within the EU to support Ireland in the dispute, as well as a hardening of Germany’s position on Brexit with the arrival of the new German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. It will heighten concerns that Johnson’s decision to press ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, which many legal experts believe breaks international law, will spark a trade war with the EU as inflation continues to take a hit. While the UK proposals passed their final parliamentary vote last week, more than 70 Tory MPs abstained or were given permission to miss the vote. The proposals were also criticized as a breach of international law by former Prime Minister Theresa May. Other senior officials who did not vote included former Northern Ireland secretaries Julian Smith and Karen Bradley and Johnson’s former attorney-general Geoffrey Cox. Some MPs are already plotting ways to prevent the government from implementing the plans, which effectively bypass the existing deal. One plan, drawn up by Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the justice committee, would give parliament a veto over whether or not the new powers in the bill could be rolled out. Anger has been growing in Dublin since the bill was published. Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, last week accused the British government of risking the breakup of the United Kingdom with its handling of Northern Ireland. Varadkar, who is set to succeed Micheál Martin as chief later this year, agreed to the principles of the protocol in talks with Johnson in 2019. He said last week that the British government’s actions were disrespectful. “I think this is a strategic mistake for people who want to keep the union, because if you continue to impose things on Northern Ireland that the clear majority of people don’t want, that means more people will walk away from the union,” he said. he told the BBC. “It’s a strange policy coming from a government that claims it wants to defend the union.” Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, claimed that proposals being put forward by the EU to resolve some of the trade issues created by the protocol would create more unwanted red tape.
title: “Germany And Ireland Denounce Boris Johnson S Attempt To Scrap The Northern Ireland Protocol Brexit " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-12” author: “Trisha Cox”
With senior officials already warning Johnson that he risks breaking up the union by going ahead with the plan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Irish counterpart Simon Coveney issued a rare joint statement condemning the UK for “unilaterally breaching an international agreement. “. Writing in the Observer, the two ministers suggest that Johnson’s determination to effectively bypass the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol, which he agreed two years ago, risks undermining the “rules-based international order” just as the continent trying to deal with Russia’s illegal. invasion of Ukraine. The two ministers say the recent Northern Ireland assembly election, which returned a majority of members in favor of the protocol, showed support for the current arrangements. They add that the EU has been and will continue to be “flexible and creative” to address issues that have hindered trade between the region and Great Britain. “Unfortunately, the UK government has chosen not to engage in good faith with these proposals,” they write. “Instead of the path of partnership and dialogue, the British government has chosen the unilateral approach. There is no legal or political justification for unilaterally violating an international agreement made only two years ago. Filing the legislation this month will not fix the challenges surrounding the protocol. Instead, it will create a new set of uncertainties and make it more difficult to find durable solutions. “In these difficult times, as Russia leads a merciless war in Ukraine, undermining our European peace order, the EU and the UK must stand together as partners with shared values and a commitment to support and strengthen the international order that it is based on rules. “We urge the UK government to step back from its unilateral approach and show the same pragmatism and willingness to compromise that the EU has shown. By working together – in partnership and with mutual respect – common ground can be found and challenges, however difficult and if they are, they can be overcome.” The intervention shows a concerted effort within the EU to support Ireland in the dispute, as well as a hardening of Germany’s position on Brexit with the arrival of the new German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. It will heighten concerns that Johnson’s decision to press ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, which many legal experts believe breaks international law, will spark a trade war with the EU as inflation continues to take a hit. While the UK proposals passed their final parliamentary vote last week, more than 70 Tory MPs abstained or were given permission to miss the vote. The proposals were also criticized as a breach of international law by former Prime Minister Theresa May. Other senior officials who did not vote included former Northern Ireland secretaries Julian Smith and Karen Bradley and Johnson’s former attorney-general Geoffrey Cox. Theresa May: Northern Ireland protocol bill ‘will diminish UK in world’s eyes’ – video Some MPs are already plotting ways to prevent the government from implementing the plans, which effectively bypass the existing deal. One plan, drawn up by Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the justice committee, would give parliament a veto over whether or not the new powers in the bill could be rolled out. Anger has been growing in Dublin since the bill was published. Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s deputy prime minister, last week accused the British government of risking the breakup of the United Kingdom with its handling of Northern Ireland. Varadkar, who is set to succeed Micheál Martin as chief later this year, agreed to the principles of the protocol in talks with Johnson in 2019. He said last week that the British government’s actions were disrespectful. “I think this is a strategic mistake for people who want to keep the union, because if you continue to impose things on Northern Ireland that the clear majority of people don’t want, that means more people will walk away from the union,” he said. he told the BBC. “It’s a strange policy coming from a government that claims it wants to defend the union.” Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, claimed that proposals being put forward by the EU to resolve some of the trade issues created by the protocol would create more unwanted red tape.
