Unilateral Announcement of Bill to Partially Abolish Northern Ireland Protocol
EU "Considering Legal Response as Well"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The United Kingdom has unilaterally announced a bill to abolish part of the Brexit-related agreement without prior consultation with the European Union (EU). The EU has stated that there is no room for renegotiation and is even considering legal action.
According to Bloomberg on the 13th (local time), the UK government announced that it submitted a bill to Parliament to partially amend the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is part of the Brexit agreement. Northern Ireland is UK territory but remains under the EU according to this protocol.
The new bill allows goods moving from the British mainland island to Northern Ireland to bypass customs and quarantine, and assigns dispute resolution to an independent body instead of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson explained in a broadcast interview that this is a relatively minor measure to improve trade and simplify procedures complicated by bureaucracy. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called it "a reasonable and practical solution to the problems faced by Northern Ireland," adding, "This bill upholds the Belfast Agreement and supports political stability in Northern Ireland."
The Belfast Agreement, signed in 1998, is the foundation of peace in Northern Ireland and guarantees free movement of people and goods within the island of Ireland. Secretary Truss said, "We are willing to negotiate with the EU," but added a tough stance, saying, "They must be willing to change the protocol provisions that cause very serious problems for Northern Ireland."
On the other hand, Maros Sefcovic, the EU Vice-President responsible for Brexit negotiations, stated that renegotiation is not an option. Vice-President Sefcovic explained, "Renegotiation is unrealistic, and if renegotiations occur, residents and businesses in Northern Ireland will face legal uncertainty." He also mentioned that legal proceedings against the UK for protocol violations had been paused for negotiations but are now being considered for resumption.
Simon Coveney, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, criticized the UK’s move as a violation of international law and pointed out that the contents of the bill are not significantly different from the EU’s proposal made last October.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed "deep regret" and stated that the EU will respond unitedly. He also criticized the UK’s move as "breaking all agreements made between the EU and the UK."
The UK argues that this attempt to change the protocol’s contents more than three years after signing the agreement in 2019 is not a violation of international law. It invokes the "doctrine of necessity," which allows breaching agreements if there is no other way to protect the essential interests of the state.
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