Dhe British government and the EU Commission have reached an agreement in the years-long dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed on changes to the protocol at a meeting in Windsor, west of London, on Monday, a von der Leyens official said. He confirmed reports from the British media that referred to Sunak’s environment. According to EU information, von der Leyen and Sunak wanted to appear before the press at around 4:30 p.m. and present details of the agreement.
The Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated as part of the Brexit deal. It provides that the customs border between the UK and the EU runs in the Irish Sea. This was to prevent border controls between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland having to be introduced. Otherwise it was expected that the conflict about unifying the two parts of Ireland would flare up again.
But the controls also cause difficulties in intra-British trade. Union Protestant supporters in Northern Ireland feel cut off from Britain. London therefore wanted to renegotiate the contract. Britain has been out of the European Union for three years following a referendum. The EU now consists of 27 members.
The dispute had put a considerable strain on relations between London and Brussels, but also on relations between London and Berlin. It is now eagerly awaited whether Sunak will also find support for the agreement from Brexit hardliners in his Conservative Party and the Northern Irish Protestant Party DUP. The DUP has been blocking the formation of a new government in Northern Ireland for months in protest at the regulation.
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