If Britain ever had to suspend the Northern Irish protocol, provided for as part of the Brexit deal, then there would be "serious consequences", the European Union warned on Friday, just after a meeting of negotiators in Brussels.
"We are not going to trigger Article 16 today, but it is on the table and this since July", had again reminded the press, this Friday morning, the Secretary of State in charge of Brexit, David Frost , visiting Brussels.
“We hope to make some progress. But frankly, the differences between us are still important ”, he declared, before a new meeting with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic during the day. Before mentioning again a unilateral suspension of the Northern Irish protocol as allowed by an article of this agreement concluded within the framework of the Brexit treaty, in particular in the case of "great economic difficulties". "The best way to avoid the outbreak of this article is to find a consensual agreement that offers a lasting solution," added David Frost, calling for "rapid progress" in the discussions.
A suspension would open a crisis with the EU, with the risk of a spiral of trade retaliation.
In this case, Brussels could "probably suspend" the free trade agreement concluded after thorny negotiations at the end of 2020, according to a European source.
"This would mean a rejection of the European Union's efforts to find a consensual solution" in the implementation of this agreement, warned Maros Sefcovic.
A protocol that the United Kingdom wants to modify
The protocol effective since the start of the year maintains the British province in the European customs union and single market, to prevent the return of a physical border to the island of Ireland which would risk weakening the peace agreement. of 1998. London demands a renegotiation of the protocol and in particular the abolition of the right of scrutiny of the Court of Justice of the European Union on its application, to replace it by "an international arbitration", an unacceptable modification for the Europeans.
To alleviate the province's supply difficulties, the Commission proposed changes three weeks ago by significantly reducing phytosanitary controls and customs formalities for a wide range of goods intended for Northern Ireland only consumption and which will not enter the single European market.
This new meeting between the two negotiators is being held in an anxious climate, rekindled by the strong tensions between Paris and London over the granting of post-Brexit fishing licenses.
