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The EU “acknowledges that they made a mistake” by invoking a clause in the Brexit deal to prevent shipments of coronavirus vaccines from entering the UK, Michael Gove said.
The bloc has faced widespread criticism after its short-term movement to void part of the agreement in Northern Ireland on export controls.
And Cabinet Office Minister Mr Gove said the union has now realized it was wrong and promised that the UK “will work with them to make sure their own problems can be addressed”.
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He said “we need a restart” of relations after the furor, which was sparked by a dispute between the EU and AstraZeneca over the supply of their COVID-19 prick.
Brussels had tried to stop the entry of vaccines into the UK through “the back door” with border checks at the Republic and Northern Ireland, activating Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He backtracked on the move, for which a former European prime minister suggested he should consider apologizing, after condemning London, Dublin and Belfast, with leaders all taken aback by the decision.
And Mr Gove said: “I think the European Union acknowledges that it made a mistake in activating Article 16, which would have meant the reimposition of a border on the island of Ireland.
“But now the European Union has taken a step back, and it has taken a step back after clear conversations that the prime minister has had with the president of the European Commission and I have had with the vice president of the European Commission.”
DUP leader Arlene Foster had described Brussels’s actions as “absolutely disgraceful” and an “incredible act of hostility.”
Conservative MP and former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said she sympathized with Ms Foster over the episode.
“After all the self-righteousness the EU showed about not having a strict border on the island of Ireland, invoking Article 16 just 29 days after the protocol came into force seems drastic and frankly unjustified,” he told Sky News. .
EU officials say they have asked AstraZeneca to ship some UK-made doses to Europe to make up for the shortfall, although the firm has said its contract with the UK prevented this.
The European Commission also announced that it was establishing controls over coronavirus vaccine supplies from the EU to outside the bloc, although he insisted it was not a ban.
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Arlene Foster responds to the EU by introducing controls to prevent exports of vaccines from the bloc to Northern Ireland
But despite speculation that the dispute could cause a vaccine shortage in Britain, Gove suggested the government would not move now to order second Pfizer injections to be given sooner.
“We have guarantees that the supply … that we have paid for will be delivered,” he said.
“That is why we continue with our program.”
He continued: “The prime minister was very clear, we have entered into contractual agreements with AstraZeneca and Pfizer and we expect those agreements to be honored.
“Y [European Commission] President von der Leyen made it clear that she understood exactly the position of the UK government, so we hope that those contracts will be honored, we hope that vaccines will continue to be supplied.
“The European Union knows this and of course we will work with them to make sure their own problems can be addressed.”
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He said the UK now does not feel it has the upper hand in its relationship with Brussels.
“No, we want to work with our friends and neighbors in the European Union,” he said.
“We recognize some of the difficulties and pressures they are facing. We can now move on and we can ensure that the issues of legitimate concern to the people of Northern Ireland can be addressed.”
He said he had spoken with the Vice President of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, about the issue.
“We have both agreed that we need a restart, that we have to put the people of Northern Ireland first,” he said.
Sefcovic later said in a statement posted on Twitter: “Our shared priority is to ensure that the Protocol works for the people of Northern Ireland, to protect the achievements of the peace process and to avoid the disruption of daily life.”
“Jointly committed to redoubling our efforts to address outstanding issues.”
Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb told Sky News that he was surprised by the EU’s decision to activate the clause and that the bloc should consider apologizing.
“At first I did not believe it because I think it slaps all the principles that Europeans defend, including the free movement of goods,” he said.
“I thought it was a mistake, and obviously it was a mistake, but it took too long to retract it … I think they should think about apologizing.”
And the former permanent secretary of the now-dissolved Brexit department, Philip Rycroft, told Sky News: “In my opinion, it was totally disproportionate to what they were looking for. It was unnecessary.
“It has all the makings of a bureaucracy that is under enormous pressure, action before thinking clearly … and basically screwed up horribly.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, backed the move to impose vaccine controls while raising questions about missing doses.
He said: “It must be controlled because there is questionable behavior and we will be receiving fewer deliveries that do not comply with the agreed contractual commitments.”
Macron has faced criticism for trying to question the efficacy of the AstraZeneca jab in people over 65 while demanding supplies of the vaccine.
His comments have been dismissed as “demand management.”
Over three nights, Sky News will host a series of special programs examining the UK’s response to the pandemic.
Watch COVID Crisis: Learning the Lessons at 8 pm on February 9, 10, and 11.
