Johnson ready to breach Brexit commitments

Broken promises and abrupt conclusion of negotiations without any agreement. This is the scenario that could occur after the rumors published by the British newspaper Financial Times. In fact, the British press has revealed a London government plan aimed at “eliminating the legal validity of parts of the withdrawal agreement” agreed with Brussels and regulating UK-EU relations in 2020, the year of transition in which Great Britain it continues to apply European standards even though it is no longer part of the Union. A piece of news that does nothing more than warm hearts for the last few weeks available to reach an agreement on future relations between the two sides of the Canal.

State aid and Northern Ireland

Specifically, the division between London and Brussels could take place on two key issues: state aid and the border between Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (EU member country). Under the Withdrawal Agreement, explains the Financial Times, “the UK must notify Brussels of any State aid decisions that may affect the Northern Ireland goods market and require companies in the province to present customs documents when shipping goods to the rest of the UK ”. But London could breach these commitments with new rules that “will force British courts to follow the new British law in lieu of the agreement with the EU”, also reversing the possibility of Brussels “meddling in UK state aid policy. “. States. “In the draft reported by the newspaper of the Financial City of London, the provisions agreed with the EU on trade tariffs with reference to goods entering Northern Ireland are also ignored and the obligation to establish customs controls in the Irish Sea, as established by the agreement with Brussels.

This would be a very unwise way to proceed. #Brexit .
https://t.co/D4aod2665h

– Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) September 6, 2020

Dublin’s reaction

“This would be a very reckless way to proceed,” was the fiery comment from Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ireland. At the official level there are still no reactions from Brussels, but many already point to the multiple statements of the chief negotiator on Brexit Michel barnier, who also last week reiterated that a “precise implementation” of the withdrawal agreement is the sine qua non condition for the success of the trade negotiations that should “save” the two parties from the application of customs duties that would put at risk UK exports to the EU and vice versa.

Waiting for Johnson’s words

In the increasingly tense relations between London and Brussels today, an appeal to the European Union is expected from the British Prime Minister Boris johnson. While calling for further collaboration in light of the October 15 deadline to reach a draft post-Brexit trade deal, the Conservative prime minister will clarify that even a “no-deal” scenario would be a “good outcome” for London. Johnson, according to the British press, will tell Brussels that if it is not possible to reach an agreement at the European summit in October, both parties will have to prepare to accept the situation and “go further”. A departure from the European Union without a deal, the British prime minister stressed, would not necessarily be a negative outcome for London. In case of not reaching an agreement, Johnson will say again according to the progress, London will have a commercial relationship with the EU “like Australia”. That is, according to the protocols established by the World Trade Organization (WTO). “I want to be absolutely clear, as we said from the beginning, this would be a good result for the UK,” will be the premier’s words.