* Command Paper outlines how Protocol is not working in its current form or delivering on its objectives.
* The Protocol will not be scrapped, but significant changes are needed to achieve a sustainable 'new balance' which puts
The Government has today, Wednesday 21 July, published a Command Paper setting out that it is seeking to negotiate significant changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The document outlines how the Protocol is failing to deliver on some of its core objectives to minimise disruption to everyday lives, respect
The Government has tried to operate the Protocol in good faith, but the problems are significant and growing. Only this morning, the Chairman of Marks & Spencer has warned that they are having to delist products in
The Government is therefore seeking to agree a sustainable solution that achieves a new balance which better reflects the unique circumstances of
The Command Paper makes it clear that the Government has considered the case for triggering Article 16 and believes that there are clear grounds to justify using it. This option remains within the framework of the Protocol. However, we do not believe it is in the best interests of
For this to happen, significant changes are need to the arrangements covering trade in goods and the institutional framework. These include:
Implementing a more rigorous, evidence-based and targeted approach to preventing goods at risk entering the single market. We are ready to enforce in the Irish Sea EU customs rules on goods going to
Normalising the governance basis of the Protocol so that the relationship between the
The Protocol has failed to deliver on some of its core objectives and we cannot ignore the political, societal, and economic difficulties this continues to create in
That is why we need a new approach based on negotiation and the finding of a new and enduring consensus. There is a real opportunity to move forward in a way that protects the
We urge the EU to grasp this opportunity, take full account of the issues at stake, and help deliver the brighter future that is within reach.
The past few months have shown the current approach to the Protocol is simply not working. Already we have seen trade diverted, supply chains disrupted, and increased costs due to added bureaucracy. This is all having a considerable impact on everyday life in
The new approach we have set out today, based on negotiation and consensus, recognises that a sustainable solution will require significant changes to the way the Protocol is being approached. Working together we can find a new balance that better reflects the unique circumstances of
The Command Paper also sets out how the EU, the
The Government stands ready to work at pace to resolve the issues and we invite the EU to join us in an intensive process that resolves these on a durable, sustainable basis.
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(C) 2021 M2 COMMUNICATIONS, source