Brexit: the Northern Irish Protocol put to the test by the export of vaccines

Graffiti denouncing the Northern Irish Protocol set up to prevent the return of a land border between the two Ireland in South Belfast on January 30, 2021. AP - Peter Morrison

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2 min

The EU continues to be criticized after its quickly abandoned attempt to override the Northern Irish protocol and impose controls on the export of Covid-19 vaccines between the two Ireland.

The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster, asked Boris Johnson on Saturday to replace the post-Brexit Northern Irish protocol, deeming it "inapplicable". 

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With our correspondent in London,

Muriel Delcroix

Avoiding the return of a border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was at the heart of the Brexit negotiations.

However, on Friday evening this prospect suddenly reappeared after Brussels' decision to activate an emergency mechanism provided for by the withdrawal agreement.

An act born of the frustration of the European Commission in the face of delays in deliveries of vaccines promised by the AstraZeneca laboratory.

But this attempt to reintroduce controls to prevent the delivery of vaccines to the UK via the Northern Irish province was unanimously condemned and pushed Brussels to an immediate and humiliating backpedal.

Nevertheless, Unionist Prime Minister Arlene Foster took advantage of the incident to urge Boris Johnson to suspend a Northern Irish memorandum of understanding which is causing serious disruption in trade between Belfast and London.

► To read also: AstraZeneca authorized by the EU, which backs off against London

The British government has not yet followed up but according to its Minister of State Michael Gove, the EU has admitted having made a mistake and the need to straighten things out.

London and Brussels have since agreed that the

delivery of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines

to the UK will not be disrupted and that in return London will work together with the EU to resolve its supply issues.

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