"We
are deeply concerned with the UK’s unilateral action, which constitutes a
serious and unacceptable breach of international law. The Northern
Ireland Protocol Bill puts into question the credibility of the UK
Government to comply with its international obligations under the
Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, damages
mutual trust and creates uncertainty for people, investors and business
in Northern Ireland. We call upon the UK government and UK Parliament
not to adopt the proposed bill and to return to the discussion table to
find practical, flexible and durable solutions within the legal
framework of the Protocol.
The EU-UK relationship must be based on
full respect of our mutually agreed, legally binding commitments. We
recall that the conclusion of the Withdrawal Agreement was a
pre-condition for the negotiation of the Trade and Cooperation
Agreement.
The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland can only be implemented through genuine dialogue.
We support Commission Vice-President
Maroš Šefčovič, co-Chair of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and
of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council, in his
approach to secure the implementation of the Protocol by reacting
proportionately to the UK Government’s unilateral action, while
continuing to engage with the people and businesses in Northern Ireland
to find practical solutions. The recent legislation on medicines and the
package put forward by the Commission in October 2021 show that the
Protocol provides for flexibility. We fully support the European
Commission’s call on the UK government to engage on joint solutions.
The European Parliament’s UK Contact Group stresses that:
- in order to have a positive and stable relationship, the EU and the
UK must comply with the provisions of the two Agreements the parties
have negotiated, signed and ratified: the Withdrawal Agreement and the
Trade and Cooperation Agreement;
- a renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, is not an option; and
- only joint solutions would create the legal certainty that the people and businesses in Northern Ireland deserve."
The statement is co-signed by:
David McAllister (EPP, Germany), Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-Chair of the UK Contact Group;
Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany), Chair of the International Trade Committee and co-Chair of the UK Contact Group;
Nathalie Loiseau
(Renew Europe, France), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-UK
Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and co-Chair of the UK Contact Group.
Background
The UK Contact Group was established by a
decision of the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents as the
main point of contact with Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič on
issues related to the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the
Trade and Cooperation Agreement.