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#Brexit - ‘Respecting legal obligations is very important for establishing trust between partners in a negotiation'

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Irish Tanaiste Simon Coveney and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier

The Sunday Times (23 February) reported that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘Brexit Team’ have been ordered to draw up plans to “get around” the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland in the Withdrawal Agreement, so that the “UK can play hardball with Brussels on trade.”  

When asked about this reporting the Deputy Chief Spokesperson said: ‘We do not comment on press reports regarding our partners alleged positions. What we can say is that the withdrawal agreement has been signed and ratified by both sides. And as such, it must be effectively implemented. That includes, of course, the protocol on Northern Ireland and all its constituent parts. 

“Of course, in this context, as in all others, we would expect our partners to respect their international obligations under their national and under international law. That includes, of course, the withdrawal agreement, which has a legal force, and obviously with respect to the future, and how this plays in the negotiation. Of course, respecting legal obligations is very important for establishing trust between two partners in a negotiation. That's all I can say.” 

Today (25 February) the General Affairs Council will meet to discuss the next steps in the EU-UK relationship. The ministers with responsibility for Europe are expected to adopt the mandate for negotiations on a new partnership with the United Kingdom. Yesterday, senior diplomats met to finalize their position based on the recommendation made by the European Commission on 3 February.   

The European Commission recommendation is based on the existing European Council guidelines and conclusions, as well as on the political declaration agreed between the EU and the United Kingdom in October 2019. It includes a comprehensive proposal for negotiating directives, defining the scope and terms of the future relationship that the EU would like to go beyond trade and include many other areas of mutual interest. 

Most of the debate concerning the negotiating mandate has focused on how to ensure that the UK does not diverge significantly from the EU on level-playing-field provisions (environment, safety, health, labour, state aids), with some calling for “dynamic alignment”.  Italy and Greece have also raised concerns about cultural heritage.

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Ahead of the meeting Simon Coveney, Irish Tanaiste met with Michel Barnier to discuss developments and riase Ireland’s concerns, in particular, the threats to circumvent the Irish Protocol briefed to a Sunday Times journalist over the weekend.  

 

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