THERE will be “serious consequences” if the UK suspends the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU’s Brexit negotiator has said.
European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said that if the UK Government triggers Article 16, then it will impact Northern Ireland and damage Brussels’ relationship with the UK.
Sefcovic also said the EU will consider all of the tools at the disposal if the mechanism is used whilst addressing Irish politicians during a select committee.
The commissioner said he worries about the rhetoric and action of the British Government around the implementation of the agreement, particularly the divisive protocol.
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Sefcovic said there was a “change in tone” in the latest round of talks with Brexit Minister Lord David Frost.
He added that the EU was getting “a lot of enquiries” from the US administration, headed by President Biden and that the bloc is treating the issue at a “high level”.
It comes as Downing Street confirmed that Sefcovic will meet with Brexit Minister Lord Frost on Friday, November 19 to continue “intensified talks”.
Speaking remotely via video link to the Seanad Special Select Committee in Dublin, Sefcovic said that the EU is fully committed to protecting the Good Friday Agreement.
He said: “However, I have to say that I worry about the rhetoric and action of the UK as regards the implementation of the agreement and in particular the protocol.
Sefcovic joined the special committee virtually on Monday to discuss the protocol
“Last Friday, I held my fourth weekly meeting with David Frost on the EU package of solutions.
“I acknowledged and welcomed the change in tone of this discussion compared to previous ones.
“After weeks of intensified discussions, we need the UK to reciprocate the big move the EU has made.
“The EU has taken big steps to find solutions and to provide solutions to concrete problems faced by Northern Irish people and businesses on the ground as a consequence of the Brexit chosen by the UK.”
Sefcovic said he would not speculate on whether the UK will trigger Article 16.
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He added: “However, it is clear that if they were to do so, the EU would have to consider all tools at our disposal.
“It would also have serious consequences for Northern Ireland and for our relationship with the UK.”
He said that talks with the UK on the Northern Ireland Protocol are ongoing.
Sefcovic said: “Judging from my experience and looking across the board of all these negotiations, I’m convinced that we must remain firm in our relations with UK as we have been in recent months and years.
“But we also have to remain calm.”
He said that EU has demonstrated “very clearly” that it has listened to the problems related to the protocol and is ready to solve them.
Lord Frost is in charge of negotiations for the UK and has threatened to trigger Article 16
He said: “That’s, of course, my preference for the future, to look for constructive solutions to make sure that by our actions we actually demonstrate that we are here for the people of Northern Ireland, that we know how to solve this issue and we can do it within the protocol.
“Even though I know that for David and his team Article 16 is still one of the options they keep on the table, but I appreciated the change of the tone and I hope that this would be guiding us when we have the meeting on Friday.”
Sefcovic said resolving the issues is very important to the EU and is being treated at a high level, after President Biden met with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at COP26.
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He told the committee: “We’re getting a lot of inquiries from the United States, from the Congress, from the US Administration.
“It was also the issue on the agenda when President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen met the President of United States, Joe Biden, just a couple of days ago. So that’s how high the political game is.”
Sinn Fein senator Niall O Donnghaile said that triggering Article 16 would create a “huge level of uncertainty and instability” during a period of instability and uncertainty.
He added: “Those kinds of threats and that kind of rhetoric around the protocol is actually being translated into street disorder in recent times in the city that I live in Belfast and that has to be condemned.”
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