UK government threatens to suspend Northern Ireland protocol | Britain’s exit from the European Union

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The row over Brexit and Northern Ireland escalated after the UK government issued a new warning to the EU that it would not hesitate to suspend the unilateral Northern Ireland protocol agreed by Boris Johnson last year.

Lord Frost, the Brexit minister, told the House of Lords on Monday evening that the EU must take UK proposals to renegotiate part of the protocol “seriously” if it is to avoid a collapse of the protocol.

He said the order paper he issued in July set out the tests the UK would apply to launch Article 16 of the protocol, which allows either side to suspend the protocol if it has a significant impact on daily life.

I urge the European Union to take this matter seriously. They will make a big mistake if they think that we are not prepared to use the safeguards of Article 16, if that is our only option to deal with the situation before us. If we want to avoid Article 16, there must be real negotiations between us and the European Union.”

The Brexit minister was speaking just days after his counterpart in Brussels, Marosh تشيevewicz, co-chair of the EU-UK Partnership Council, told the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to “moderate the rhetoric” after it threatened to collapse Stormont over the protocol .

After a two-day visit to Northern Ireland, the European Commission Vice President said renegotiating the protocol would only lead to more instability for businesses and societies.

Frost’s comments show how poorly Sevovich’s comments have been received in Downing Street, and suggest that the gap in thinking between the EU and the UK is widening.

“I have been concerned by some of the comments we have heard from UNHCR representatives in recent days that seem to indicate that they may be considering this way forward. [the take it or leave it approach]Frost said.

“If that is the case, as seriously as I can, gentlemen, I urge them to think again and to think instead of working to come to a real agreement with us so that we can put something in place that can continue. These negotiations must begin in earnest and must begin soon. “.

Last week, the DUP, which is fighting to keep its voter base locally, issued an ultimatum to the European Union, saying it would withdraw from Stormont Council if there was no serious rethinking of protocol within weeks.

Days ago, the United Kingdom announced that it is unilaterally extending the grace period for the examination of refrigerated meats, including sausages.

Šivović told reporters on Friday that the EU had responded calmly and opted not to take legal action in order to create space for dialogue.

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