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THERE HAS BEEN a lot of talk recently about the British Government breaking international law in their response to the Brexit shenanigans. This intention has now been formalised, with the British Government’s legislation that overrides the Northern Ireland Protocol debated in the House of Commons this week.
This legislation violates their international obligations and puts the people, businesses and the peace in Northern Ireland in jeopardy. However, what exactly does this mean and how are the British Government putting Northern Ireland at risk?
Most of these Brexit moves come back to two things: the Good Friday Agreement and the EU Single Market. Taking the Good Friday Agreement first, the British Government are co-signatories of the Agreement and they have a responsibility to implement it and maintain peace in Northern Ireland. As such, any move that puts the Agreement at risk is a serious breach of this trust.
Impact on Northern Ireland
As we all know, peace in Northern Ireland was hard-won and is very fragile. Huge steps were taken to ensure that there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland so as to not re-stoke violence and the Protocol was designed to avoid this.
The Protocol keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU Single Market as well as the UK Internal Market. As such, goods that are entering Northern Ireland require checks to ensure they are suitable for entry to the EU Market. This is because the EU has high safety standards and these must be adhered to.
As the Protocol protects the Good Friday Agreement by avoiding a hard border in Ireland, and this legislation overrides the Protocol, the Agreement is therefore put at risk.
Simultaneously this legislation puts the EU Single Market at risk as it drops the need for many of the checks on goods entering Northern Ireland. What is being proposed is that there would be ‘green lanes’ for goods staying in Northern Ireland which would require no checks, and ‘red lanes’ for goods entering the EU which would require checks.
Given that there is no border infrastructure in Ireland, clearly, there is no way to police these required checks. Therefore, goods that do not meet the EU’s standards could easily enter Ireland and then move further into the EU.
That the British Government believes that businesses should be able to choose what checks they apply to their goods is staggering.
The rule of law
This legislation also seeks to remove the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in policing the Protocol, instead employing ‘independent arbitration’ to watch over its implementation.
Given the risk that the Single Market faces if the Protocol is incorrectly applied, the role of the CJEU is paramount and is a red line for the EU. While this may be ‘no big deal’ to Boris Johnson, it is a huge deal to the EU and frankly, will not be allowed. This goes hand in hand with the British Government’s claim that there is a ‘democratic deficit’ with the Protocol as, in their mind, rules are being imposed on Northern Ireland without consent and are settled by the EU.
Just because the British Government claims something to be true does not make it so. Claiming there is a democratic deficit when the European Commission Vice President, Maroš Šefčovič spent months engaging with businesses and the people of Northern Ireland on the Protocol, is insulting. To add insult to injury, the British Government has refused to engage in the EU negotiations for several months now, so this claim has no standing.
What we are now seeing is the UK Government blatantly ignoring the will of the people of Northern Ireland, negating their responsibilities and risking their reputation on the international stage all for the sake of internal party politics. After six years of Brexit shenanigans, this is the most disappointing move yet.
Neale Richmond is a Fine Gael TD and the party’s spokesperson on European Affairs.
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Boris’s position – People in Northern Ireland are against the protocol so we are scrapping it to protect the Good Friday agreement
A big lie !!!
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
Joseph Goebbels
The truth is Boris will do anything and say anything to stay in power even restarting the “troubles”
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have refused to stand for election in the north for over 100 years but continue to believe they know what’s best for its citizens.
@Leo’s Spin Department: yes now they choose a populist anti Boris stance as SF surge in the polls. Not credible like so much with this government.
We can not reduce the price of fuels in this Country because of EU regulations. So we in effect are governed by Europe. At least the UK does not have that problem anymore
@Maurice O Neill: the price of fuel is dearer in Britain
@Maurice O Neill: then how come their fuel prices are as high and what about the rest of the world? Can we blame to EU for global fuel prices?!
@Maurice O Neill: Man you set yourself up for that… can I just ask you “morris” do you always argue with everyone??? Because it seems like you are a true contrarian if ever I saw one
@Maurice O Neill: Trolling again I see. We are part of the EU not a colony of it.
We have rather more voice in the EU (and a lot more support) than NI does in the UK.
@Maurice O Neill: don’t look up
@Maurice O Neill: It all boils down to whether you can afford fuel or not. Even those on jobseekers benefit are on app €208 per week. I believe welfare payments in the UK are not paid weekly and are a lot less.
@Maurice O Neill: are you sure it’s because of EU regulations?! Doesn’t Spain belong to the EU?! They don’t seem to have any problem in reducing fuel (and electricity) prices… https://www.globalvatcompliance.com/globalvatnews/spain-energy-relief-measures/
@Maurice O Neill: Sweet Jaysus you never miss an opportunity to say something ridiculous!! Fuel is more expensive in the UK – You just don’t know or understand what you’re talking about
@Maurice O Neill: The UK doesn’t have that problem? come on Maurice, when the UK do have fuel, they have to ration it and its more expensive. They also have half empty food shelves in supermarkets, and a lack of medicines in Pharmacies.
One of these Days Maurice, you will get on the right side of one of these debates, but it may involve you first having to remove your extreme right-wing reactionary hat for a moment!
@Cobh Rebel Tour Mccarthy:
No fuel shortages in uk or empty shelves – i work there many weeks every year, and fuel prices are comparable.
@Frank Jasper: I’m in the UK every week and fuel is more expensive in the UK
@Maurice O Neill: oh man, why don’t you just leave Ireland and move to Engerland?
You should provide a link to confirm that the EU decides how much each member state charges for fuel.
@James Lough: — He’s probably over there every week to kiss Johnson’s ring and get an update on the brainwashing.
Focusing on fuel prices misses the point. Johnston lied to Unionists for personal gain. That is what he does. He is lying by saying it’s “no big deal”. It is and will be proved to be. Johnston cares only about himself and not the GFA. However, he won’t be around much longer and certainly not by the time the current Bill becomes an Act. Such an Act contravenes an international Treaty and will not stand. The needs and interests of all stakeholders will trump the narrow self-interests of Johnston and his Government and Party. Once the Americans get involved Johnston is finished. The GFA is either bigger than any of the signatories or it’s not?
Johnson wants to remove the Protocol to appease the DUP. He should have stood up to them instead of caving into them. They threaten him and he thinks he needs them. The DUP are an anachronism who are losing support even among protestant voters year by year and they do not act in the interests of the people of NI but in their own selfish interests.
@Nomis Andrews: “He should have stood up to them”
What British or Irish Government has ever really stood up to DUP-like types in Northern ireland?
What happened to Tory NI Sec. Peter Brookes 1990 assertion that Britain had no “selfish strategic or economic interest” in Northern Ireland? Maybe that selfish needed a comma after all?
It must go through the house of lords to be law. Might not get through.
@Thomas Linehan: when is that scheduled? I hope it goes though as it will teach the conservatives and DUP a lesson.
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