London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The UK approaches this week’s talks with a new lead negotiator in charge. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss takes over after the sudden resignation of the former Brexit Minister David Frost and was hosting European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic until Friday, 14th.
“There is a deal to be done but it will require a pragmatic approach from the EU,” said Liz Truss.
Talks are taking place at the foreign secretary’s country residence at Chevening House, near London. There are hopes coming from EU circles that progress can be made in the talks. Brussels is clearly hoping for reaching the best resolution when it comes to defining the Brexit protocol dealing with trading arrangements, is safeguarding peace in the UK territory and avoiding a trade war between London and Brussels.
‘Myriad and manifest’ problems
However, the British governent bids for a complete overhaul of the treaty, agreed by Boris Johnson with the EU as part of the legally-binding Brexit divorce deal. In a statement provided ahead by Foreign Secretary Liz Trust, she calls for a more pragmatic approach, that will ensure peace in Northern Ireland and will secure the relationship between Ireland, UK and Europe.
In an article written by Liz Truss and published last weekend in the pro-Brexit Sunday Telegraph, the Foreign Secretary puts forward the threat of invoking the Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, suspending at least part of the accord.
The mechanism allows either the UK or the EU to take safeguard measures unilaterally if they believe it has brought “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties” or “diversion of trade”. In the article, Truss complained of “myriad and manifest” problems that are about to occur facing the issues that are caused involving the customs declarations by sending parcels from UK to Northern Ireland and vice-versa. Issues are mainly provoked when it comes to acquiring goods, while the sender has to fill in an incredible amount of paperwork for a parcel to be received. She also added that Jewish communities all over UK, struggle finding kosher produce.
The foreign secretary also reiterated the UK demand “to end the role of the European Court of Justice as the final arbiter of disputes”.
European solutions and negotiations
The EU Ambassador to the UK hopes and is determined to find along with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and the European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, “long-term solutions” that will be beneficial for both EU and the UK. “Now we have the protocol, which is international law, British law, EU law. We want to implement it with pragmatism, with a certain degree of flexibility,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
Ever since the definite crossing from the UK’s EU era that ended in January 2021 and the post-Brexit era commenced, the protocol keeps keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU’s customs territory and single market for goods. However, certain unionists have been increasingly infuriated as they consider that Northern Ireland is being treated differently than the rest of the UK.
