Trouble about Brexit agreement again: EU is considering sanctions against London

Enlarge image

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen

Photo: POOL / REUTERS

What Maroš Šefčovič dished out to the ambassadors of the EU states, they probably did not like. The EU commissioner responsible for negotiations with Great Britain had met British government representatives, and now he has presented a "sober, realistic inventory," as the German representative Michael Clauss later cabled confidentially to Berlin. The British government, Šefčovič warned at the meeting last week, may not want to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol - "despite paying lip service," according to the paper available to SPIEGEL.

A tangible conflict is looming between London and Brussels.

Because the Northern Ireland Protocol is the most explosive part of the Brexit Agreement: It is intended to ensure that there is no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland by practically moving the customs border between the EU and the United Kingdom to the Irish Sea.

The EU sees the protocol as an important protection against unregulated imports into its internal market, the British government sees it more as a threat to the unity of the United Kingdom.

What does Johnson want?

As early as March, London had unilaterally decided not to control food and agricultural exports to Northern Ireland for the time being.

The EU Commission responded with infringement proceedings.

On Thursday, the British government asked to extend the transition period for chilled meat, which expires at the end of June.

The commission reacted coolly: Šefčovič would talk to his British counterpart David Frost about it as soon as possible, it said.

In Brussels, however, there are fears that the British will go it alone again if the Commission does not comply with their request.

In the meantime, there is a widespread suspicion that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson never really wanted to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol - and is now trying to get rid of it.

You are "at a crossroads," said Šefčovič to the ambassadors according to the German wire report ("classified information - only for official use"): Either the Northern Ireland Protocol can still be implemented with flexible solutions, or there will be "further unilateral actions «By the British government.

In the latter case, Great Britain "must be persuaded to adhere to the treaty by all available means."

The problem: The EU cannot introduce controls at the currently invisible inner-Irish border, as this could endanger the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and thus the peace in the former civil war country.

The Commission is therefore thinking about sanctions elsewhere, such as punitive tariffs on British imports.

Such a step is absolutely possible, according to the Commission.

According to diplomats, the authority is already working on specific scenarios for such a step.

»Mobilize all available levers«

In Brussels, the French government in particular is urging that the EU "must mobilize all available levers to defend its interests," said another confidential report by the German representation in Berlin, dated June 15.

Other infringement proceedings or the mechanisms built into the trade and cooperation agreement between the EU and Great Britain, such as dispute settlement or "autonomous measures" by the EU, could be considered.

The line of the Federal Government is hardly less harsh: Great Britain must "fully implement its contractual obligations," wrote Ambassador Clauss.

Renegotiations are out of the question.

In the face of "repeated unfortunate rhetoric" by the British government, he also considers it questionable whether London is "really willing" to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The British government, for its part, blames the EU.

The EU is implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol in a way that is causing significant problems in Northern Ireland, a spokeswoman said.

The UK has made more than a dozen written proposals to remedy this.

If solutions are not found, "we will consider all available options to ensure peace, prosperity and stability in Northern Ireland".

The dispute over sausages, which will actually no longer be allowed to be delivered from Great Britain to Ireland from July, even preoccupied the G7 summit last week - which ended in disappointment for the EU.

The topic "played a marginal role" there, wired the German EU embassy to Berlin.

US President Joe Biden has shown "little interest".

In Brussels, however, it was hoped that Irish-born Biden - who is known not to be a Brexit fan - would take the side of Brussels.

In Berlin, meanwhile, people are determined.

»Our red line is the protection of the EU internal market.

There can be no compromises, «said the SPD member of the Bundestag Metin Hakverdi.

He warned the British not to blame Brussels for any problems.

"You need the EU to defuse the Northern Ireland conflict."

The Greens politician and spokeswoman for European policy in her parliamentary group, Franziska Brantner, expressed a similar opinion: "If necessary, the Commission must sanction Great Britain."