UK wants to find a Northern Ireland trade solution, Times says
Send a link to a friend
[November 12, 2021] By
Kate Holton
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to
de-escalate tensions with the European Union and find a solution to a
post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade dispute that has threatened broader
relations between the two sides, the Times newspaper reported on Friday.
Britain's Brexit minister David Frost will meet with the European
Commission's Maros Sefcovic in London on Friday to discuss changes to
trade rules, after Britain threatened to trigger emergency unilateral
provisions in the Brexit deal.
That threat, known as triggering Article 16, has prompted Ireland to
warn that the whole 2020 free trade deal could be set aside in response,
while other EU governments have agreed to take a "robust" line with
London if ties break down.
The Times said on Friday however that Frost would signal to Sefcovic
that London was ready to renew efforts to get a deal and enter intensive
talks over the next few weeks.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Nov/12/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been hit by a growing sleaze
scandal in his party in recent weeks and political opponents have
questioned why London would pursue a trade dispute with its neighbours
at a time of rising inflation and supply chain friction.
"Triggering Article 16 does not solve the problems we face," the Times
quoted a British source as saying. "Even if we were to do it, eventually
we'd still have to get back round the table."
Since leaving the EU last year Britain has delayed the introduction of
some border checks that were designed to avoid the need for a hard
frontier between the British province and EU-member Ireland. London says
the checks are disproportionate and threaten Northern Ireland's 1998
peace deal.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/111221PIX/2021-11-12T084735Z_1_LYNXMPEHAB0IO_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-EU-FROST_small.JPG)
Britain's Minister of State Lord David Frost walks outside Downing
Street in London, Britain, September 15, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah
McKay//File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Nov/12/images/ads/current/atlantabank_lda_SFARM_2019.png)
The EU says tighter controls are necessary to protect its single market of 450
million people.
Frost said earlier this week that the two sides had made progress in recent
talks but that the gap remained extremely wide. He added that he was not ready
to give up on talks aimed at finding a solution but triggering Article 16 may be
the only solution.
Ireland's minister for European affairs, Thomas Byrne, told BBC Radio he was
pleased that talks were taking place and that he hoped both sides could remain
supportive because making threats would not succeed.
"A tough approach or a 'tough guy' approach when it comes to Northern Ireland
can only be counterproductive and will lead to disaster," he said, after masked,
armed men hijacked and set fire to buses in recent days in the province.
The Times said that while Britain had reservations about the Commission's
proposals to reduce checks on goods crossing between Britain and Northern
Ireland, they could form the basis of an agreement, if changes were made.
(Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and
Michael Holden)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |