Britain, EU lower their 'pitch' to resolve issues over Brexit deal for Northern Ireland

After months of stress of decision-making to resolve the differences raised over the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, Britain and the European Union are finally set to enter the new phase of discussion, reported The Times on Saturday. Notably, the development came days after the UK government termed the talks between its negotiator David Frost and his counterpart Maros Sefcovic failed to resolve the issues. According to reports, the EU's chief negotiator said he welcomed a "change in tone" from the UK side and added the "low pitch" could lead to tangible results.

However, Sefcovic noted that the package advertised by the EU last month did not go far enough to fix realistic resistance on goods passing between Britain and Northern Ireland. He said that the action taken by Brussels over the free movement of British medicines in Northern Ireland could be solved next week. "I acknowledge and welcome the change in tone of discussion with David Frost today, and I hope this will lead to tangible results for the people in Northern Ireland," PA media quoted Sefcovic as saying during a press conference.

Why does the Northern Ireland Protocol become a topic to be resolved on priority?

As a part of the Brexit deal, the UK and European Union inked the Northern Ireland Protocol in December last year, agreeing to keep British controlled Northern Ireland under the EU's single market. This directly implies that all the goods arriving from the UK mainland are required to undergo EU Import Procedures. Additionally, the protocol also obliged Northern Ireland to keep its border open with the Republic of Ireland. More recently, the Boris Johnson administration has called for the protocol to be written highlighting that it was obstructing business between London and Belfast. "I think we need to fix it. I’m not convinced that the solutions we’re seeing do fix it," Johnson had said. 

Protest is now taking a turn

It is imperative to note that in March, the trade conflict triggered violent rights in the country after loyalist communities voiced their angst on post-Brexit trade agreements, which they said created a divide between the region and the rest of the UK. Turbulence surged following the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) decision not to punish two dozen Sinn Fein politicians who – despite tight restrictions as a result of COVID-19 – attended the funeral of the former head of IRA intelligence, Bobby Storey. The disturbance soon spread to other parts including Belfast and Newtownabbey, where rioters took violent measures. Last week, a bus was hijacked and set on fire in Northern Ireland, amid discontent over the trade deal struck as part of the UK’s departure from the European Union. It was the fourth attack this year, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP