The agreement was expressly based on the principles of partnership, equality and mutual respect. His defining legacy was a commitment by all to pursue dialogue to resolve differences. The EU played a vital role in the peace process. The architects of the agreement were fully aware of the EU itself as a project of peace – a project based on international cooperation and mutual understanding. For people across Ireland, EU membership and the single market have opened up a common ground where there was once division. Over the past three decades, the EU has invested more than €1.5 billion in programs for peace and cross-border cooperation. When the UK took the decision to leave the EU, it was clear that both sides, the EU and the UK, would have to find a common solution to protect the Good Friday Agreement and preserve the precious peace for all the people. This solution, achieved through long and hard negotiations, is the Northern Ireland Protocol. It’s the solution the British government agreed to two years ago. It expressly recognizes the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and the principle of consent as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. Annalena Baerbock. Photo: Nacho Doce/Reuters Most importantly, we also wanted to give Northern Ireland continued access to the EU single market with more than 450 million consumers. The conclusion of the Withdrawal Agreement and Protocol paved the way for the finalization of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. People and businesses in Northern Ireland benefit from this every day. Figures show Northern Ireland’s economy is recovering faster from the pandemic than most other regions in the UK. Investment interest in Northern Ireland is at an all-time high, with companies winning contracts due to its access to the single market. We look forward to seeing Northern Ireland businesses in key sectors such as manufacturing, dairy and the food industry grow further through these opportunities. Throughout the negotiations, the EU listened carefully to the views of the most affected citizens and businesses, including those of the trade union community. Simon Coveney. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images And we weren’t just listening. Having heard real concerns from people in Northern Ireland, the EU has put forward proposals to simplify the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, changed its own laws to address concerns about the supply of medicines and pledged to give those concerned in Northern Ireland has a bigger say in how the protocol works. This package struck a fair and reasonable balance between two key imperatives: to fully respect the letter and spirit of the Good Friday Agreement, thereby protecting the gains of the peace process; and to maintain the high standards, including public and food safety, that EU citizens expect from the single market. Unfortunately, the British government has chosen not to engage in good faith with these proposals. Instead of the path of partnership and dialogue, he chose the unilateral approach. There is no legal or political justification for unilaterally violating an international agreement made only two years ago. Filing legislation 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. We know and understand that the people of Northern Ireland want certainty, stability and predictability, for their future and that of their children. We saw this in the recent parliamentary elections, where 52 of the 90 MPs elected support the protocol. This is why the EU sticks to the protocol and why its proposals remain on the table. We are open to being flexible and creative because we believe the protocol can work to the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland. In these difficult times, as Russia leads a relentless 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 based on in rules. We urge the UK government to step back from its unilateral approach and show the same pragmatism and willingness to compromise with the EU. By working together – in cooperation and with mutual respect – common ground can be found and challenges, however difficult, can be overcome. Annalena Baerbock is the Foreign Minister of Germany. Simon Coveney TD is the Irish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Defence