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The Irish government has supported an EU office in Belfast amid deepening confrontation between the UK and the European Union on the issue, according to RTÉ News.
The move coincides with a strong warning from the EU that the office problem is “urgent”, and that the UK is falling short to implement the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol, contained in the Withdrawal Agreement.
The warning is presented in a detailed note that is distributed to Member States detailing all the elements that the EU believes the UK should implement in order to implement the Protocol.
The note, seen by RTÉ News, says work must begin before June 1 on IT systems and customs databases that will facilitate customs and regulatory controls on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland. .
Meanwhile, the Irish Government has made it known that it regards an EU office in Northern Ireland as “logical” according to the needs of the Protocol.
Ireland also believes the office would be a reflection of the EU’s “continued support” for the peace process.
Irish officials spoke on the matter during the first meeting of an EU and UK technical committee that was set up to implement the Protocol on Northern Ireland.
This week, the UK sent a second letter to the EU rejecting its request for an office in Belfast to help it implement the technical work required by the Irish Protocol.
During today’s video conference technical meeting, the UK insisted that there should be no EU office in Belfast, echoing the view expressed in the letter, written by UK Minister of State Penny Mordaunt to Michel Barnier , the EU’s top negotiator and another top EU executive. Officially, that the Protocol did not require an EU presence in Belfast and that it would be “divisive in political and community terms”.
However, in his speech, an Irish official said in the video conference that an EU office in no way undermined the Good Friday Agreement and, on the contrary, reflected “the continued EU support for the peace process.”
The official said that an EU office would be a “logical” way to comply with the requirements of the Protocol.
In a nine-page technical note distributed to Member States this afternoon, and seen by RTÉ News, the EU described the Irish protocol as the “greatest challenge” faced by both parties in implementing the Withdrawal Agreement “considering the technical complexity and political sensitivity. “
The note sets out all the technical measures that the UK must implement before December 31 to comply with the terms of the Protocol.
The EU says the measures that will bring about the biggest change in Northern Ireland are also “the most politically sensitive” and require “timely and comprehensive preparation”.
The note highlights the need for controls and checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in regards to customs, agri-food and animal health, VAT, fishing and other regulatory and certification requirements.
Such procedures, the note says, require “very careful preparation to avoid major disruptions at the end of the transition period.”
However, the EU believes that the creation of IT systems and databases will be ready from June 1 “at the latest”.
The note also highlights the issue of an EU office in Belfast. Indicates that “discussions about [European] The union presence in Northern Ireland must also be advanced as a matter of urgency.
“We need clarity on administrative arrangements before we can recruit staff, organize the adoption of their duties.”
The office issue has been embroiled in sectarian politics in Northern Ireland, with the leaders of Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Alliance Party and the Green Party writing a joint letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressing concern about the rejecting the EU request, while the UK position has been supported by the two main unionist parties.
It is understood that the Irish Government is shocked because the issue has acquired such a symbolic and political weight.
However, the Government believes that the EU presence is important, and that the EU will not back down voluntarily on the subject.
Irish and EU sources emphasize that both sides will remain “involved” in the issue.
The European Commission insists that Article 12 of the Protocol, which states that EU customs officials will oversee the proper implementation of controls and checks, means that officials must have an office to work in Northern Ireland.
Sources in Brussels say such officials will provide a support, rather than a supervisory, role as UK customs officials, technically from a third country, will implement the EU’s book of customs rules.
It is understood that the British government considers the issue to be almost dead. However, there are indications that any other requests made by the EU will be heard.
In addition to the EU office issue, both sides have said that today’s meeting was “constructive,” and a leading EU source said the meeting was more constructive “than feared.”
The Protocol requires the UK to ensure that any goods moving from Great Britain and Northern Ireland do not run the risk of crossing the EU single market across the land border.
The EU believes that this requires that all products are subject to the principle of customs and regulatory controls and controls. Brussels believes that only once the specialized committee clearly establishes that certain goods are not at risk of crossing the land border, tariffs can be exempt or reimbursed.
The UK is understood to have provided more concrete details on how it plans to implement the Protocol, including a commitment to have designated controls at the port of Larne.
UK officials also gave details on how it will protect the rights of EU citizens in Northern Ireland, as required by Article 2 of the Protocol.
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