On Tuesday 23 November, the EU Member States’ European Affairs Ministers took stock of relations with the United Kingdom and the ongoing discussions on the protocol for Ireland and Northern Ireland. On this occasion, they renewed their confidence in Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and supported his approach to finding pragmatic solutions.
At a press briefing, he welcomed the “strong support” and “unity” around the table. He also reiterated the importance of the ongoing negotiations on the protocol, with another “crucial” week with London to achieve results on medicines. The Vice President hopes that an agreement on the rules relaxing medicine marketing authorisation for the province of Northern Ireland can be announced as early as 26 November in London, when he meets Minister David Frost.
According to one source, many member states intervened on Tuesday, in particular to underline the change in tone of the British government, but also asking to see concrete results. They considered that the Commission’s proposals for flexibility, which were presented on 13 October, were the best response to the difficulties in Northern Ireland.
The Commission and the Member States also wanted negotiations to continue on fisheries and missing licences, with the tone of the meeting, according to this source, not to prepare retaliatory measures, but to focus on the work in hand.
Arriving in Brussels, the German State Secretary for European Affairs Michael Roth said that the Northern Ireland talks are “not a game” and urged London to get serious again and stop fighting endlessly over the years-long protocol.
“We want to work together in partnership and friendship. We don’t want to keep arguing about what we have actually agreed”, he said, as the UK government regularly threatens to suspend the protocol by activating its Article 16.
On his arrival in Brussels, Irishman Thomas Byrne welcomed the “solidarity” shown by his colleagues in this matter. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)