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First real good news on #Brexit in a while - UK confirms in writing its willingness to remove (or deactivate, which could still be tricky) the law-breaking clauses in the IMB and the upcoming finance bill - if enough progress in the Joint Committe is made https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-government-statement-on-the-uk-eu-joint-committee-and-the-implementation-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol/uk-government-statement-on-the-uk-eu-joint-committee-and-the-implementation-of-the-northern-ireland-protocol
The good (from EU perspective):
- UK confirms its willing to drop clauses both in IMB _and_ upcoming finance bill
- work in Joint Committee has clearly made progress
- This would remove a clear condition of EU and in particular EP for a deal
- UK confirms its willing to drop clauses both in IMB _and_ upcoming finance bill
- work in Joint Committee has clearly made progress
- This would remove a clear condition of EU and in particular EP for a deal
The bad:
- UK gov is only saying it could remove these clauses - this is basically still an attempt at blackmailing the EU for a deal
- The UK is sticking with its narrative that its WA-violating moves would have been necessary to protect the GFA, rather than endanger it.
- UK gov is only saying it could remove these clauses - this is basically still an attempt at blackmailing the EU for a deal
- The UK is sticking with its narrative that its WA-violating moves would have been necessary to protect the GFA, rather than endanger it.
The ugly:
If this conundrum is solved this way, it would have been a hell of a damage to trust in the UK government and its adherence to international law, for an outcome that would have very likely resulted from the technical process in the Joint Committee either way.
If this conundrum is solved this way, it would have been a hell of a damage to trust in the UK government and its adherence to international law, for an outcome that would have very likely resulted from the technical process in the Joint Committee either way.
The happy end? - now the Joint Committee has reached a full agreement, including the UK committing to withdrawing all law-breaking clauses in the IMB and the upcoming finance bill:
https://twitter.com/MarosSefcovic/status/1336298681188954113
This is a necessary, though not sufficient condition for an overall deal.
https://twitter.com/MarosSefcovic/status/1336298681188954113
This is a necessary, though not sufficient condition for an overall deal.
What remains is the question why the UK embarked on the 'mad man' approach to negotiations.
In the end it has deeply damaged trust and its reputation, made a #Brexit trade agreement harder and from first reading did not achieve anything it could not have through the JC approach.
In the end it has deeply damaged trust and its reputation, made a #Brexit trade agreement harder and from first reading did not achieve anything it could not have through the JC approach.
Internally, Johnson has roused the 'Brexiteers' with the accusation the EU is threatening the UK's territorial integrity, let the Commons majority twice vote for law-breaking clauses, only to withdraw them on the next day. Not the look of a strong negotiator.
For the EU, kudos to the calm reaction. When the IMB was published, many commentators on the EU side were close to calling for suspension of negotiations. At the end, the 'dedramatised' process via the Joint Committee delivered and got the UK to remove the clauses.
