'Change in tone': UK, EU make headway for NI protocol 'talks', will not invoke Article 16

As the diplomatic row over the Northern Ireland (NI) protocol between the UK and the European Union (EU) intensified over the last week, both the sides on Friday, 12 November agreed to make a headway for "serious talks", tone down the heated rhetorics and resolve the differences. This came as the diplomats warned that the bilateral trade dispute between the EU and the UK over the Northern Ireland protocol that stretched for over a month could lead to "dangerous conclusions" if Brussels and the UK were not willing to resolve the tussle and if Britain unilaterally suspended the NI protocol resulting in the  breach. 

The UK has been threatening to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland (NI) protocol in order to suspend the stern checks on cargos of goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. In response to Britain, EU envoys warned that the European Commission must be ready with a"robust, proportional and legally sound" proposal for the retaliatory move, multiple official sources told Politico after Wednesday's meeting this week.

While the European Commission's Brexit point person, Maroš Šefčovič, asked the two sides to maintain calm, the UK on Friday resort to changing its tone for the first time, stating that the EU courts could still have a ‘minor role’ in the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol as negotiations heated this week, Associated Press reported. 

The European Commission has in the past remained hardened in its stance to Britain that it will not scrap the oversight of the protocol by the European Court of Justice, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UK Brexit minister David Frost constantly argued that it was the need of the hour as a key part of smooth implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. On Friday, as two sides entered a renewed discussion over the hard-fought trade agreement, tones were much more simplified. EU’s Brexit negotiator, Maros Sefcovic, had called this week  “an important one" for a mutually agreed deal. 

David Frost for Britain and Maros Sefcovic for the EU exchange 'clam words'

In a new dawn to the ongoing trade war, David Frost for Britain and Maros Sefcovic for the EU exchanged clam words after another meeting on Friday in London. “We need to make serious headway in the course of next week,” Sefcovic told reporters, according to Associated Press. He emphasised that the British government quoted Frost as saying that he “wanted to bring new energy and impetus to [NI protcol] discussions.” Sefcovic also welcomed the “change in tone” from Brexit negotiator Frost who had earlier threatened to invoke emergency clause that would scrap the agreement under crucial circumstances. UK also challenged a legal action on EU. 

In a more language, Friday, Frost was quoted by the Associated Press as stating that he would not “give up on this process unless and until it is abundantly clear that nothing more can be done.” EU had, meanwhile, agreed to make some changes in the deal including reduction of checks on food, plants and animals entering Northern Ireland by over 80% as well as slashing the lengthy paperwork and documentation for Britain bound goods. The UK although had demanded removal of court’s interference over disputes on agreement, which EU had stated was necessary as the European Court of Justice “is the guardian of the single-market rules.” While the trust on both sides had eroded, on Friday, the block and the UK agreed to continue the more fruitful talks as the deadline to reach a deal hangs for December.