Rishi Sunak, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, is set to
hold a face-to-face meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the
European Commission, on Monday to finalize a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
The two leaders will meet in the UK to discuss the "complex
challenges" of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which currently sees some
goods checked when entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
The UK government has been seeking to change the protocol
for some time, and Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, said that Britain
and the EU were "on the cusp" of a deal. Sunak and von der Leyen have
both agreed to work toward "shared, practical solutions for the range of
complex challenges surrounding the Protocol on Ireland and Northern
Ireland."
For days, a deal has been anticipated, with recent
discussions focusing on its presentation and delivery. Both the Conservative
and Labour whips have instructed their members to attend Parliament on Monday.
The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed to by former Prime
Minister Boris Johnson as part of the UK's exit from the European Union. It
maintains Northern Ireland's adherence to some EU laws, allowing goods to flow
freely across the border to the Republic of Ireland without inspection.
Instead, goods arriving in Northern Ireland from England, Scotland, and Wales
are inspected.
Critics, including Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist
Party (DUP), feel that this undermines the nation's position within the rest of
the UK as well as impacting trade. The DUP has complained about what it calls a
"democratic deficit" with Northern Ireland being subject to EU rules
while not having a say on them.
Despite these challenges, Raab has said that the government
has "made great progress" in its talks with the EU. He suggested that
one approach could be an "intelligence-based" rather than "tick
box" approach for goods, which would effectively mean that they look at
what is happening in the Republic of Ireland with goods that go to Northern
Ireland in case there's a risk of them going into the wider single market.
With both the UK and the EU appearing to be making progress
towards a deal, Monday's meeting between Sunak and von der Leyen could be
crucial in finalizing an agreement that satisfies both parties.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak is scheduled to hold face-to-face
talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a bid to
finalize a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland. On Monday, both parties are
expected to discuss the "complex challenges" posed by the Northern
Ireland Protocol. The UK seeks to alter the protocol, which necessitates
checking some goods when they enter from the rest of the UK. A deal is expected
to be made in the coming days, with recent negotiations focusing on the deal's
delivery and presentation.
The Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed upon during former
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's term, as part of the process of the UK leaving
the European Union. The protocol entails Northern Ireland following some EU
laws to facilitate the free flow of goods across the border to the Republic of
Ireland without checks. Goods arriving from England, Scotland, and Wales, on
the other hand, are checked when they reach Northern Irish ports. Northern
Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other critics believe that this
undermines the nation's position within the rest of the UK while also affecting
trade. They also argue that Northern Ireland is subject to EU laws without
having any say in them, which they refer to as a "democratic deficit."
On Sunday, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stated that he
had been in touch with Ms von der Leyen and "very much" welcomed her
meeting with Mr. Sunak. Meanwhile, his deputy, Micheal Martin, noted that
"very significant progress" had been made in resolving issues, and he
hoped that it could be concluded soon. The government has yet to confirm
whether MPs would be allowed to vote on any deal, but it stated that they would
be able to express their views. Some Conservative MPs have been putting
pressure on Mr. Sunak regarding the role of EU law and the European Court of
Justice in settling trade disputes. Mark Francois, the head of the European
Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, earlier stated that EU law needed to be
"expunged" from Northern Ireland to bring it in line with England,
Scotland, and Wales. The DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has called for a
deal that gets things right instead of being rushed, while former Prime
Minister John Major has urged Conservative and DUP MPs should not let concerns
about the European Court of Justice prevent them from easing trade and
restoring Northern Ireland's devolved government.
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