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British and European Union authorities held an emergency meeting on Thursday on Britain’s plan to break part of their divorce agreement, a maneuver that according to the EU would destroy all good will to reach a trade agreement.
Britain’s decision to violate international law by changing part of the EU Exit Agreement has alarmed European authorities and threatens to derail the already fragile negotiations between the two sides on trade and their future relations, which are taking place at the same time in the British capital.
Such a move by Prime Minister Boris Johnson “would fundamentally undermine the Exit Agreement and seriously damage the confidence we have in our British partners,” he said. Danuta Huebner, Chief Supervisor of the European Parliament on the implementation of the London-Brussels pact.
“This cannot and will not be accepted,” Huebner said.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic was scheduled to meet Michael Gove, Britain’s Brexit preparedness minister, in a hastily organized gathering. The two lead a joint committee tasked with finalizing post-Brexit rules for Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK that shares a border with an EU member, Ireland.
AP Keeping that border clear of customs posts and other obstacles is a key objective of the Exit Agreement signed by both parties less than a year ago. An open border supports the peace agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Huebner warned that undermining the exit agreement “would pose a serious threat to lasting peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland.”
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, echoed that concern. “If Britain violates that international treaty and Brexit undermines the Good Friday (peace) agreement, there will be absolutely no chance of Congress passing a trade agreement between Britain and the United States.”
Johnson’s conservative government announced this week that it plans to draft laws to give itself the authority to deviate from some of the clauses of the agreement on trade in Northern Ireland.
London said to do so to protect the peace agreement if there was no agreement with the EU. However, the announcement drew serious warnings from the bloc.
“The exit agreement is not open to renegotiation and we hope that the letter and spirit of the exit agreement will be fully respected,” Sefcovic said.
AP Many British politicians and lawyers also expressed alarm, stating that reneging on a legally binding international commitment would destroy Britain’s reputation for respect for law and order.
“If we can’t be trusted to keep our word on this matter, then tell me, why would anyone trust us in the future?” Said Edward Garnier, a former British state attorney.
Britain left the political bodies of the EU on January 31 and will formalize its economic breakdown at the end of an 11-month transition period on December 31. The two sides are trying to reach a trade deal by then, but talks have been locked into issues such as fishing rights in British waters and competition rules for companies.
The heads of negotiation of both parties, David Frost and Michel Barnier were scheduled to end the current round of talks on Thursday. The two sides said that unless there was an agreement in October, Britain faced the economic blow of a no-deal exit on January 1.
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