Category: Northern Ireland Protocol

EU Rejects Reworking Northern Ireland Deal, Urges Calmer Tone

BELFAST—The European Union rejected a British demand to renegotiate their deal governing the trading position of Northern Ireland, saying that to so would only bring instability and uncertainty. European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, who oversees EU relations with post-Brexit Britain, said on Friday that the Northern Ireland protocol needed to be properly implemented. “A renegotiation…


DUP Leader to Outline Next Steps in Campaign Against Northern Ireland Protocol

The leader of the DUP is to announce the next steps in his party’s campaign to remove the Northern Ireland Protocol. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will be speaking in the Belfast area on Thursday morning as European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic is visiting the region. Speaking ahead of his speech, Donaldson blasted the protocol as…


EU Freezes Legal Steps Against Britain After UK Request for Standstill

BRUSSELS—The European Commission said on Tuesday it would not move to the next step of its legal action against Britain for unilaterally changing trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, in response to Britain’s request for a “standstill.” The European Union in March began a so-called infringement procedure against Britain for making changes to the Northern Ireland…


UK’s Johnson Urges EU to Consider Post-Brexit Proposals Seriously

LONDON—Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday to consider seriously Britain’s proposals to change what he called the “unsustainable” way a Brexit deal is governing trade with Northern Ireland. Since it completed its exit from the EU at the end of last year, Britain’s ties with the bloc…


Britain Tells EU on Brexit Deal: It Wasn’t Going to Last Forever

LONDON—British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Thursday the European Union had been inflexible over renegotiating the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit divorce accord and cautioned Brussels that it was not a deal that would last for ever. “A deal is a deal but it wasn’t something that was going to last forever,” Kwarteng…


EU Tells UK It Will Not Renegotiate Terms of Northern Ireland’s Brexit Deal

The European Union has warned the UK it will not renegotiate the deal on Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements after the UK’s Brexit minister Lord David Frost demanded significant changes to the terms. Frost said “we cannot go on as we are” but held back—for now—from taking the dramatic step of effectively suspending parts of the…


Brexit: Frost Sets out ‘Significant’ Reforms to Northern Ireland Protocol

The UK has demanded “significant” changes to Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements but has held back from tearing up parts of the deal. Brexit minister Lord David Frost said “we cannot go on as we are” but held back from using provisions in the deal that could allow elements of it to be suspended—although he…


EU Needs To Recognise Northern Ireland Protocol Has Failed: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has insisted that the European Union needs to recognise that the Northern Ireland Protocol has “failed.” He was speaking shortly before taking part in a virtual meeting with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic. The protocol, which was negotiated as part of the Brexit settlement to avoid a hard border…


UK and EU Agree Truce in Sausage War Dispute Over Northern Ireland

A deal has been reached to avoid a “sausage war” with the European Union over the shipment of chilled meats from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. A grace period allowing the continued supply of chilled meats across the Irish Sea has been extended until Sept. 30. Brexit minister Lord David Frost said: “We are pleased…


Arlene Foster to Quit as Northern Ireland First Minister and DUP Leader

Arlene Foster said on Wednesday that she will quit as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and first minister of Northern Ireland. She said she will leave her DUP role on May 28 and resign as first minister at the end of June. Foster, who has been first minister for five years, had faced…