The vice-president of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, insisted again on Friday 10 September in Belfast on the need to find solutions to the difficulties created by Brexit in the British province “within the framework of the protocol” negotiated between the EU and London, while the British government is asking for a rewrite of this arrangement agreed in 2019.
“Not implementing the protocol will not make the problems go away” and a renegotiation of its terms would only lead to further “instability” and “uncertainty”, Šefčovič said at a press conference after a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.
While the Commission decided this week not to pursue its infringement proceeding against the UK government and its unilateral decision to extend the grace periods provided for in the Northern Ireland Protocol on trade in goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, it is expected to come up with new proposals for solutions in late September or October to try to provide relief to Northern Ireland stakeholders.
Mr Šefčovič called on stakeholders to focus on the essentials, namely the mitigation of problems such as those in the medicines sector. The Commission noted that it had already decided to change its rules to facilitate the flow of generic medicines into Northern Ireland. “I will do whatever it takes”, the vice-president said, making the case that Northern Ireland’s stakeholders be fully involved in discussions on the protocol.
Urging moves to a “stable” and “positive” relationship between the EU and the UK, Šefčovič also received good news about EU access to UK data, which should be operational “soon”. Having access to data, particularly on the flow of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland, “will allow us to better understand the situation” in the province, the EU official said.
Mr Šefčovič will meet again next week with his British counterpart, David Frost. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)