Why the Northern Irish protocol is driving a wedge between London and the EU

• Supposed to resolve the thorny question of the only land border between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the Northern Irish protocol is at the heart of new tensions after London announced in mid-May its desire to legislate to free itself of certain provisions, paving the way for a long parliamentary process.

• While the main unionist party, the DUP, has been blocking the formation of any local executive for several months, Boris Johnson's government is presenting its bill to Parliament on Monday modifying the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland.

  A change of status deemed illegal by the Europeans who threaten reprisals.

• Between "new green channel", administrative procedures, controls applied under European law and customs border in the Irish Sea,

  20 Minutes

  takes stock of this Northern Irish protocol which sows discord between London and the EU (and the 'North Ireland).

After months of deadlock between London and Brussels, the British government is taking action: it is presenting its bill to Parliament on Monday modifying the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland.

A change of status deemed illegal by the Europeans who threaten reprisals.

takes stock of this Northern Irish protocol which aims to settle the Irish border puzzle which has long blocked the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.

In short, it must protect the single European market without causing the return of a physical demarcation between the British province and the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union, and thus preserve peace (yes, we know, it is complicated).

But, what is this Northern Irish protocol?

Let us first remember that Northern Ireland has been bruised by three bloody decades opposing Unionists, mainly Protestants, attached to maintaining the province within the United Kingdom, and Republicans, mainly Catholics, supporters of reunification with the Republic of Ireland.

"Such a victory would make the prospect of Irish reunification more likely"... For @20minutes, @Mariedfou looks back on UK local elections that could forever change the map of the UK #SinnFein https:// t.co/l0g2meBpHV

— Marion Pignot (@pignot1) May 5, 2022

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And this Northern Irish protocol is therefore a text negotiated between London and Brussels in the context of Brexit to answer the delicate question of the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. , a member of the European Union.

The protocol was designed to protect the integrity of the European single market without recreating a land border which would risk undermining the peace concluded in 1998.

Rather than carrying out formalities only at the land border between the United Kingdom and the EU, at the risk of rekindling tensions, the protocol therefore provides for checks on goods from Great Britain to be carried out at their arrival in Northern Ireland.

The text maintains

Northern Ireland in the common market and the customs union of the European Union.

And why is this protocol problematic?

The text is held responsible for supply difficulties in Northern Ireland and presented, on the British side, as a threat to the Good Friday peace agreement, in particular after the violence which injured dozens of police officers in April 2021. in Belfast.

Some companies are going after the new formalities.

Others, on the other hand, welcome maintaining access to the gigantic European market, the economy of Northern Ireland having rebounded from the coronavirus pandemic more quickly than other regions of the United Kingdom.

However, the text was never fully implemented, as grace periods on controls were introduced and extended for certain products.

So that its complete application augurs an aggravation of the difficulties.

And if this text has not been fully applied, it has nevertheless caused supply difficulties and strong political tensions in Northern Ireland with a bloody past.

Because for the members of the unionist community (the unionist party DUP), the protocol threatens the place of the province within the United Kingdom to which they are viscerally attached.

Unionists fear that the border introduced

in the Irish Sea will go in the direction of a reunification of the island of Ireland.

Especially since the local elections on May 5 gave rise to a historic victory for the Republican party Sinn Fein, in favor of reunification.

What does the British project presented on Monday consist of?

In the London project, goods destined to remain in Northern Ireland, and therefore within the British market, would benefit from a "green" channel avoiding controls, while allowing the EU to access data in real time.

A “red” channel would be for goods at risk of entering the European market and which would have to be declared, but the checks would be carried out in Great Britain.

Any violation would be punished with “heavy penalties” according to the British government.

By announcing in mid-May that it intended to legislate (unilaterally) on an international treaty which it negotiated and signed itself, Boris Johnson's government immediately aroused the ire of Brussels.

The EU has said it is ready for adjustments but refuses to renegotiate the principle of the protocol, threatening trade reprisals in the event of unilateral modification of the agreement.

Our Brexit file

So far, both sides have said they are ready to continue talks.

London ensures that it continues to favor negotiations to resolve the crisis and get Northern Ireland out of the political deadlock that resulted from it.

But no progress has been observed.

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