Britain and EU still clashing over court
DOWNING Street has warned the EU it will not accept European Court of Justice jurisdiction over British territory, ahead of fresh talks on the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol.
The UK Government and EU are on a collision course as intense negotiations start again in London this week.
The EU has already conceded that checks on products like sausages or medicines will not have to take place between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.
But it is still trying to maintain its grip on the region, demanding any dispute over the protocol is resolved by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), rather than a neutral body.
A UK Government source said: “The reality is that [the UK and the EU] are still far apart on the big issues, especially governance.
“There’s been plenty of speculation about governance this week but our position remains unchanged: the role of the ECJ in resolving disputes between the UK and EU must end… Whether we’re able to establish that momentum soon will help us determine if we can bridge the gap or if we need to use Article 16 to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement.”
The UK team will be headed by David Frost, who successfully negotiated the post-brexit trade deal.
After officials wrangle over details at the start of this week, Brexit minister Lord Frost and EU Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic are then due to meet in person in Westminster for final discussions.
The two leaders will take stock and assess progress so far.
Under the terms of the protocol, which was agreed by the UK and EU in 2020 to maintain a free-flowing Irish border, the ECJ would be the final arbitrator in any trade dispute between the two parties. UK Government sources claim that the protocol agreement was in effect forced upon the UK because of the logjam created in Parliament by Remainers and the problems faced by Theresa May’s government.
The UK now wants to remove that provision and replace it with an independent arbitration process.
Additionally, the protocol has created a series of economic barriers on the movement of goods.
New measures proposed by the EU involve an 80 per cent reduction in checks envisaged for retail agri-food products arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
Certain British produce, including Cumberland sausages, would also no longer be banned from export to the region.
The EU plan to ease the resultant trade friction also includes a 50 per cent reduction in compulsory customs paperwork, while more products and firms would be exempt from customs tariffs as a result of expanding trusted trader arrangements.
The EU has also offered to legislate to ensure no disruption to the supply line of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.