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E.U. Offers U.K. Concessions on Northern Ireland. Here’s What the Spat Is About. - The New York Times

E.U. Offers U.K. Concessions on Northern Ireland. Here’s What the Spat Is About. - The New York Times

E.U. Offers U.K. Concessions on Northern Ireland. Here’s What the Spat Is About. - The New York Times
Oct 14, 2021 1 min, 47 secs

Britain is demanding an end to post-Brexit rules known as the Northern Ireland protocol.

The European Union responded to that call Wednesday with a far-reaching plan to resolve practical problems raised by that Brexit treaty — the Northern Ireland protocol — that has provoked a full-scale confrontation between Britain and the bloc.

The protocol aims to resolve one of the most complex issues created by Brexit: what to do about the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, which remains part of the European Union.

According to the new proposal from Brussels, checks on food and animal products going from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland would be reduced by 80 percent, customs paperwork for shipments of many goods would be slashed and the flow of medicines would be ensured.

Johnson’s allies accuse the European Union of inflexibility in applying rules, a pettifogging lack of sensitivity to feelings in parts of Northern Ireland and vengeful hostility toward Britain for exiting the bloc.

The frontier between Northern Ireland, which remains in the United Kingdom, and Ireland, which is in the European Union, is contested, and parts of it were fortified during the decades of violence known as “The Troubles.” But after the Good Friday peace deal in 1998, those visible signs of division have melted away along the open border.

The plan means more checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from mainland Britain, effectively creating a border down the Irish Sea and dividing the United Kingdom.

This has enraged some Conservative lawmakers and inflamed sentiment among those in Northern Ireland who want the region to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Under the protocol, foods with animal origins — yes, like sausages — coming from mainland Britain into Northern Ireland need health certification to ensure they meet European standards should they end up in Ireland, which is still part of the European Union’s single market.

This could lead to retaliation and a possible trade war between Britain and the European Union.

The European Commission’s response has been to talk to business and other groups in Northern Ireland and to focus on resolving their practical problems.

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