Announcing the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, Tras said he would rectify post-Brexit protocol problems by easing controls on companies selling British goods destined for Northern Ireland rather than the EU. also the European Court of Justice as an arbitrator of commercial disputes and will move to an independent mechanism. The government has published a summary of the legal basis for its actions, based on a principle called the “doctrine of necessity” on the grounds that the protocol poses a “danger” to Northern Ireland. However, the EU, legal experts and even some conservative MEPs have said the move violates international law by giving ministers the power not to implement parts of the protocol unilaterally without the Brussels agreement. Maroš Šefčovič, the EU commissioner for Brexit, criticized the “catastrophic” move and threatened to take ministers to court. He said: “As a first step, the Commission will consider continuing the infringement proceedings initiated against the United Kingdom Government in March 2021. We have been waiting for this legal action in September 2021 in a spirit of constructive co-operation to create the space for finding common solutions. “The United Kingdom, as a unilateral action, is in direct conflict with the spirit.” One of the biggest changes would be the introduction of a choice for British companies exporting to Northern Ireland between complying with EU or UK regulatory standards, which are expected to deviate further and further. It would also allow the creation of a green lane allowing less customs controls on goods destined for Northern Ireland and a red stripe with existing controls on goods destined for EU countries. Further measures include aligning Northern Ireland’s tax relief and political spending with the rest of the United Kingdom and changing the oversight of trade disputes so that they can be resolved by independent arbitration rather than by the European Court of Justice. The bill will face strong opposition in the House of Commons and the Lords, with doubts as to whether Boris Johnson has the support to vote. The bill has some critics of the Eurosceptic right, including the Northern Ireland DUP, as well as some for the centrist Tory wing. Government sources said the vote on the bill would take place before parliament’s dissolution over the summer recess, but ministers would like to see some progress in reversing the redistribution of power in Northern Ireland, which has been blocked by the DUP. A majority of Northern Ireland assembly members – from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Alliance parties – wrote to Johnson on Monday saying they could not support the move, warning that “it does not meet the wishes of more than just most companies”. but most people in Northern Ireland. “ The assembly is going to vote on whether it will give its consent to the operation of the protocol in 2024, four years after its entry into force. As the opposition grows stronger, there are some doubts among lawmakers that the legislation will get nowhere. The government insists it prefers to find a negotiated solution to the protocol. However, Ireland said on Monday that Trash had not been involved in negotiations on the protocol substantially since February. A phone call Monday morning between Troy and Dublin Foreign Minister Simon Cowney lasted just 12 minutes. A spokesman for the Irish Foreign Ministry said: “Mr Coveney has said that the publication of legislation that would violate the United Kingdom’s commitments under international law, the Brexit withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol on islands and between the United Kingdom and the EU “. David Lamy, the shadow foreign minister, said it was a “desperate attempt by Boris Johnson to divert attention from the drama of his leadership crisis” and called on the government to publish its full legal advice. “It risks creating new trade barriers in a cost-of-life crisis and will only bring more uncertainty to the people of Northern Ireland trying to make the protocol work,” he said. “Britain must be a country that keeps its word. “By overthrowing the protocol negotiated just a few years ago, the government will damage Britain’s reputation and make it more difficult to find a lasting solution.”
