Britain and the EU Clash over Northern Ireland

The Union Jack above the European Union flag (The Canary).

Following a speech by Brexit Minister David Frost on October 12, tensions have flared between the EU and the U.K. over Brexit protocol regarding the contentious Northern Ireland border. The strains arose after Frost called for the replacement of the protocol surrounding Northern Ireland. The U.K. and the EU had discussed the terms for the protocol two years ago—the agreement included plans for checks between the border of Northern Ireland and Ireland following Brexit. However, Frost claimed that the EU has overreached and that the U.K. would be unable to enforce and execute the current protocol. He called for a new, more effective protocol. 

The border between Northern Ireland and Ireland has been a point of contention since the beginning of the Brexit process and has proven extremely difficult to approach. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.K. has struggled to implement aspects of the protocol. In March 2021, the U.K. announced that it would delay Brexit border checks due to the necessity of additional time for preparations after businesses were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Frost’s demand for change on the agreement came immediately before the EU intended to discuss issues of trade between the EU and the U.K. on the Northern Ireland border. Frost called not only for changes to the protocol, but also for removing the role of the top court of the EU in adjudicating disputes regarding the border. Due to the EU ruling out any changes on this front, Frost may have called for some of these changes as a bargaining chip or to create a conflict that would increase pro-Brexit sentiments within the U.K.

Since Frost’s speech, the EU has taken actions to reach a new argument by adjusting the previous protocol rather than creating a new one. The adjustments would decrease the checks between the EU and U.K., particularly in terms of food, which had a customs check cut of about 80 percent. The proposed changes would diminish the necessary paperwork for these checks, but they fail to address several other demands from the U.K., such as changes in state aid rules that would benefit British firms. Many unionists in Northern Ireland feel supported by the demands, hoping that this strengthens their ties with the U.K. 

The demand for renegotiation has increased tensions with countries including Germany who denied the possibility of a complete renegotiation. Additionally, the Biden administration has warned U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to undermine the Good Friday Agreement due to concerns about rising violence. Should the U.K. continue to demand renegotiation, further tensions may arise at the border as well as internationally, as a trade war could commence.

The Northern Ireland border continues to prove contentious in the attempts to resolve the Brexit agreements more than five years after the vote. Continued negotiations and the hope for a peaceful resolution will be extremely important over the coming months as the EU and the U.K. attempt to wrap up the protocol on the Northern Ireland border.