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The EU has withdrawn its plans to control COVID-19 vaccine exports to Northern Ireland following widespread condemnation.
Earlier on Friday, Brussels had activated Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol that is part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
In doing so, the EU sought to stem the unhindered flow of coronavirus attacks from the bloc into the region.
Brussels was trying to prevent Northern Ireland from being used as a back door to move COVID vaccines from the bloc to the rest of the UK.
But in a statement Friday night, the European Commission said the EU “was not activating the safeguard clause” to ensure the protocol “is not affected.”
The controversy arrived amid EU dispute with vaccine maker AstraZeneca due to delays in the delivery of doses to the 27 members of the block.
the The EU offer to activate Article 16 had sparked a backlash among Northern Ireland politicians and was also criticized by Boris Johnson, and Downing Street warned Brussels not to interrupt the supply of vaccines.
The prime minister spoke of his “serious concerns” about the EU measure during a phone call with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Earlier, Johnson urged the EU to “urgently clarify its intentions” and detail how it will fulfill its commitments to the peace process, during a “constructive discussion” with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
And a statement number 10 read: “The UK has legally binding agreements with vaccine suppliers and I would not expect the EU, as a friend and ally, to do anything to disrupt the performance of these contracts.”
Stormont Prime Minister Arlene Foster described the EU bid as an “incredible act of hostility” that places a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the vaccine supply chain.
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Arlene Foster: ‘This is an incredibly hostile act by the EU’
Mr. Martin has welcomed the decision not to invoke Article 16, tweeting: “This is a positive development given the many challenges we face in addressing COVID-19.”
Under the terms of the protocol, goods should be able to move freely between the EU and Northern Ireland, as the region remains in the single market for goods and continues to operate under EU customs rules.
However, the activation of Article 16 meant that Northern Ireland would be considered an export territory for the purposes of vaccines shipped from the EU / Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland vaccines are currently arriving from the rest of the UK so they are not affected.
The European Commission said: “To address the current lack of transparency of exports of vaccines outside the EU, the commission is implementing a measure that requires such exports to be subject to authorization from member states.
“In the process of finalizing this measure, the commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is not affected. The commission is not activating the safeguard clause.”
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A ban on vaccines in the EU would be a losing sight
He added: “If the transits of vaccines and active substances to third countries are abused to circumvent the effects of the authorization system, the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal.
“In the process of finalizing the document, the commission will also fine-tune the decision-making process within the framework of the implementing regulations.
“The final version of the implementing regulation will be published after its adoption tomorrow.”
Previously, the commission defended the move to activate the safeguard clause, saying: “This is justified as a safeguard measure in accordance with Article 16 … in order to avoid serious social difficulties due to a threatening lack of supply. with disrupting the orderly implementation of vaccination campaigns in the member states “.
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