The EU must use a new law setting out steps to react to future UK breaches of its trade and political agreements with the bloc to avoid any repeat of its ill-fated short-term move to block supplies of vaccines into Northern Ireland, MEPs have told the European Commission.
An Irish centre-right MEP, Seán Kelly, called for the EU executive to inform the European Parliament of any intention to adopt measures against the UK.
Kelly, who presented his report on the draft law to the Parliament’s International Trade and Foreign Affairs committee on Wednesday (13 July), said that the legislation was designed to prevent future “mistakes” such as in February 2021, when the European Commission announced and later withdrew its intention to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, after a panic about the prospect of COVID-19 vaccines bought by the EU crossing the border in Northern Ireland.
UK ministers have since cited the incident as justification for their own measures to suspend or potentially override parts of the protocol.
“This was a particularly worrying episode and something we were particularly critical of at the time, but thankfully President von der Leyen quickly rectified it. With the amendments and text that I have proposed to this Regulation, this will not happen again”, Kelly said.
“There should be a meaningful exchange of views before decisions are taken”, he said.
The law gives the EU the tools to react to breaches of the protocol, the withdrawal agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the UK.
European Commission official, Richard Shostak, told MEPs that the legislation had been designed primarily to apply to the EU-UK trade deal and was “an instrument which covers all unilateral measures needed”.
Lawmakers want to finalise the text in the weeks after the EU institutions return in September, while on 21 June, EU ministers will adopt their own position on the text.
“We think that a quick agreement would also be a useful message to send to the UK,” added the Commission official.
Kelly told EURACTIV, “This new EU Regulation is exactly what the union needs to ensure it has all the right tools at its disposal should the UK Government further breach its post-Brexit agreements and break its word.”
In London, meanwhile, the UK government bill designed to override the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol is making its passage through the House of Commons, with UK MPs opposing any amendments to the bill in votes on Wednesday.
The UK bill is almost certain to be adopted without any changes in the House of Commons. Still, it is likely to be significantly revised when it reaches the House of Lords in autumn, as the governing Conservatives do not have a majority in the UK parliament’s upper chamber.
Despite Boris Johnson’s ousting last week, the protocol bill is supported by all of the six remaining candidates campaigning to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister and Conservative leader.
“If the UK Government was to enact the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, they would face harsh consequences. Such a move would create more difficulties in these particularly challenging times in Northern Ireland. It would shred the British Government’s reputation globally,” Kell told EURACTIV.
Should the bill become law, “the EU would have no choice but to protect the Single Market in that situation and probably further legal action. It could trigger an unwanted and unnecessary trade war,” he added.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
Source: euractiv.com
