BRUSSELS – The European Commission said yesterday it will examine Britain’s request to extend a grace period for post-Brexit rules on chilled meat imports for Northern Ireland – part of the so-called sausage war between London and Brussels.
The commission said it had received the request yesterday to put off till September 30 the deadline set for the start of July.
“The commission will now assess this request,” a statement said.
“The commission has already indicated its openness to finding solutions in line with the protocol,” for Northern Ireland under the Brexit deal.
“For that to happen, the UK must fully implement the protocol,” it added.
Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic will contact Brexit Minister David Frost to set up a meeting on the request as soon as possible.
Britain and the European Union have agreed that a special “protocol” will govern trade with Northern Ireland in the post-Brexit landscape as part of their divorce deal.
Since the start of this year, the province has remained effectively inside the EU customs union and single market for goods.
The scheme prevents a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a former flashpoint in sectarian conflict that largely ended in 1998.
However, the protocol is deeply unpopular within Northern Ireland’s pro-UK unionist community, who argue it creates a de facto border with mainland Britain.
While various grace periods have been agreed, London is threatening to act unilaterally to extend the next one coming into force next month.
Such a move would be seen by Brussels as unravelling the post-Brexit accords negotiated in painstaking detail since the 2016 referendum.
The dispute dominated the G7 summit in England last weekend.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU leaders duelled over the topic, which spiralled into a face-off about UK sovereignty over Northern Ireland.
Tensions are high in the territory, which is divided between pro-Ireland nationalists and pro-UK unionists.
There are fears that unrest will reignite next month – a traditional time of disruption in Northern Ireland – if discontent over the protocol is not settled. – AFP, June 18, 2021
