The Vice President of the European Commission, and the EU’s main negotiator for Brexit, Maroš Šefčovič, is the guest of the journalist Shona Murray, in The Global Conversation.
Despite six years of difficult and often painstaking negotiations, Brexit remains as rocky as ever. It is said that, now, we are at a time of historically low relations between the EU and the United Kingdom, following the decision of the British Government to unilaterally breach part of the so-called ‘Northern Ireland Protocol’, the harmony that maintains Northern Ireland within the European Union’s single market for goods, while leaving the EU with the rest of the United Kingdom. In the end, a solution was found for all parties to comply with the ‘Good Friday Peace Agreements’. I am accompanied by the Vice President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, who is also the EU’s main negotiator for Brexit, says the Euronews journalist before welcoming her guest.
First of all, tell us about the threat to the single market, following the decision that the UK Government has taken… what it could do to damage the single market, essentially, the reporter suggests to the Slovakian politician.
“As you know, our relationship with the UK, and especially the protocol, the withdrawal agreement, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, is based on trust. Of course, if a bill is then drafted in which only you want to control what reaches our internal single market, and if, in addition, you don’t want to carry out the necessary controls, this trust is seriously damaged, and undermined”, says Maroš Šefčovič.
Let’s say that the single market, because of what the British are proposing, is not very different from what the European Union has said: an express lane, the green lane; goods go to and stay in Northern Ireland so they have fewer checks. But… if there are no controls, what could happen to the EU single market, if there are some unauthorized cultivated goods circulating, or some unauthorized animal products circulating… that find their way into the single market, from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, for example?Shona Murray asks.
“If there are no controls, we could simply end up with goods on the market that would be illegal, that would not be up to the standards, from the point of view of public health, or animal health. Or, simply, it could be about a lot of things like the increase in smuggling at the border,” replies the vice-president of the European Commission.
In the UK, of course, they say they are doing this out of necessity. You claim that the UK has not made progress in the talks since February. So what happens? Tell us about the situation, from your point of view, suggests the Euronews journalist.
“I have to say that, since March last year, we have not seen any constructive proposals from the UK. We have only watched new and difficult issues being put on the table. And I can also say that, having spoken, regularly , with Northern Irish business representatives, with political leaders, with civil society representatives… many of these things put on the table by the UK Government have never been mentioned by the people of Northern Ireland. very focused on the practicality of solving some of the unintended consequences, to make sure that we can operate the protocol smoothly, in order to reduce, as much as possible, the necessary controls”, says the EU’s main Brexit negotiator .
You mentioned that there are legal proceedings against the UK. Tell us about it. And ultimately, if this bill goes through the House of Commons, which could take a year or so, does that mean that the European Union will freeze the ‘Free Trade Agreement’ between the EU and the UK?asks the author of the interview.
“The first statement, very important, is that we clearly consider that this bill is illegal. It goes against international law. We do not consider it serious or fair, because of some of the things that I have already mentioned, such as the event that the UK decides what kind of goods will enter the EU, preventing us from any effective control over this flow of goods. So what are we going to do on our end? First and foremost, as I said, is protect the single market with legal measures. We will be very firm, and restrained. But, at the same time, proportionate in our response. Also, our next steps will be gradual because we still want to keep the doors of negotiation open. Of course, if this bill is passed as is, I can’t exclude anything. All options have to be on the table,” says Maroš Šefčovič.
You talk about keeping the doors open. Do you think UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson or Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are reliable partners in resolving this issue?the reporter wants to know.
“I said, at the beginning, that our relationship, especially if it comes to such delicate agreements, such as the withdrawal agreement, the free trade agreement, and especially the protocol, is based, to a large extent, on trust. And … I have to say that with this bill, introduced after 18 months of discussion, that trust is severely damaged,” says Šefčovič.
What could be the implications for Northern Ireland if this is not resolved? Will they lose access to the EU single market? And what will happen to the fragility of the peace agreement there? asks Shona Murray.
“I think one of the clear consequences would be uncertainty. If you talk to companies in Northern Ireland, what you hear most from them is please come to the negotiating table, come up with the solution together, work it out. We need to legal certainty. We need predictability for our companies. Our investors are hesitant, because they don’t know if an eventual company they would invest in, in Northern Ireland, would produce 5 million, 50 million or 500 million worth of output. According to economic figures from the Last year, I think the development of Northern Ireland was quite good, compared to some regions in the EU. If it comes to peace, for us, this was a priority issue, from the beginning. As you know, the EU, as a peace project, it has supported the ‘Good Friday Peace Accords’, from day one. We have always supported them, financially, politically, and economically. I have seen some of the projects, like Flurrybridge , or the center of Shankill Road, and I have seen the kind of change and transformation that has taken place in recent years. And… I think that we should value it, treasure it, and create an enabling environment for peace to be stable,” says the vice president of the European Commission.
Mr Vice President, do you think, then, that this action by the UK is for the greater good, in your opinion, for Northern Ireland, or perhaps for the internal political situation in the UK? asks Murray.
“I think it is indeed very politically driven by London. For us, what is important in all these relationships – and I have said this several times, and I am happy to repeat it – is that we are not looking for political victory in Northern Ireland. We just want these issues to be resolved so that we can build on what I hope will again be a good and prosperous relationship with the UK, creating a number of opportunities for Northern Ireland. of peace, and support for the Belfast ‘Good Friday Agreements’ in all its dimensions”, concludes the EU’s main negotiator for Brexit.
