Covid news: Gove says EU recognises mistakes over NI row as vaccines ‘already slowing spread’ of virus
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Cabinet office minister Michael Gove has said the European Union recognises it made a mistake over Northern Ireland in a row with the UK over coronavirus vaccine supplies.
On Friday, the EU backtracked on a threat to trigger a Brexit deal clause to stop the unimpeded flow of coronavirus vaccines into Northern Ireland.
In an act that blindsided the UK and Ireland, the EU invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, allowing it to override parts of the deal under which trade from the EU into Northern Ireland is unrestricted.
A U-turn came late on Friday night after the threat was met with fierce backlash from Boris Johnson, the Irish government and even the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The vaccine row was prompted by delays to the EU supply of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, the UK’s mass vaccination rollout already appears to be having an easing effect on the Covid crisis, according to data.
Research due to be published in days is set to provide evidence that Britons are receiving some protection from the virus, The Times reported.
EU U-turns on Northern Ireland threat
In a U-turn late last night, the EU withdrew its threat to trigger a Brexit deal clause to prevent coronavirus vaccine exports from Europe entering Northern Ireland as a backdoor route into Britain.
The row was prompted by delays to the EU supply of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Kate Devlin and Andrew Woodcock report:
EU withdraws Northern Ireland threat in vaccines row
U-turn follows furious backlash in London and Dublin
‘An almost Trumpian act’
Julian Smith, a former northern ireland secretary, has accused Brussels of an "almost Trumpian act" by threatening to override part of Northern Ireland Protocol under its coronavirus vaccine controls.
“Years have been spent trying to ensure goods will flow freely and there will be no hard border and last night the EU pulled the emergency cord without following any of the process that are in the protocol if one side wants to suspend it," the Tory MP said.
“And they did that, in my view, without anywhere near the understanding of the Good Friday Agreement, of the sensitivity of the situation in Northern Ireland, and it was an almost Trumpian act.”
He told the BBC’s Today programme: "The EU cocked up big time last night but we all need to work in the interests of preserving Northern Ireland.
"It is not just a backdoor for goods going to Britain, it is a very sensitive place and we have a duty of care between the EU and the UK to preserve no hard border and stability in Northern Ireland."
Additional reporting by Press Association
What did the EU want to do?
The EU sparked anger over a proposed move involving the Brexit deal. Here is a quick look at what it involved and why:
EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to Northern Ireland under the post-Brexit deal, with special arrangements for the UK region designed to protect the peace process in Ireland.
In an extraordinary move that blindsided both the UK and Ireland, the EU invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol - allowing either eide to override parts of the deal - to stop the unimpeded flow of jabs from the bloc into the region on Friday.
The move was taken by the EU to prevent Northern Ireland being used as a back door to move coronavirus vaccines from the bloc into the UK, and the bloc justified the move over a lack of vaccine supplies.
The EU has since U-turned to say it is "not triggering the safeguard clause" to ensure the protocol is "unaffected".
Additional reporting by Press Association
Northern Ireland protocol is ‘unworkable’, first minister says
Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland's first minister, has pressed Boris Johnson to replace the Northern Ireland Protocol, which she said was “unworkable”.
On the EU invoking Article 16 of the protocol to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into the region, Ms Foster called this "absolutely incredible act of hostility towards those of us in Northern Ireland
The DUP leader reiterated calls for Mr Johnson to enact Article 16 of the protocol over delays being face by hauliers.
"We've been asking the PM to deal with the flow problems and indeed, since 1 January , we've been trying to manage along with the government the many, many difficulties that have arisen between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and there are actions he could take immediately," she said.
"There is great unrest and great tension within the community here in Northern Ireland so this protocol that was meant to bring about peace and harmony in Northern Ireland is doing quite the reverse.
"The protocol is unworkable, let's be very clear about that, and we need to see it replaced because otherwise there is going to be real difficulties here in Northern Ireland."
Additional reporting by Press Association
Article 16
The vaccine row is not the first time temporarily overriding part of the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland has been suggested this year.
Earlier this month, Boris Johnson vowed to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol if it was necessary to stop supermarkets running short of food – attacking “absurd’ bureaucracy.
Rob Merrick, our deputy political editor, reported at the time:
Boris Johnson warned he will damage relations with Biden if he breaches Northern Ireland agreement
‘It would do huge damage to the Good Friday Agreement....and damage the relationship between our country and the US’
‘I understand that Micheal Martin was very annoyed at it’
More reactions are coming in this morning over the EU’s now-scrapped decision to invoke Article 16.
A former politician in Irish premier Micheal Martin's party said the Taoiseach was furious at the EU's abandoned move to override part of the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.
“The action doesn't make any sense at all and it has clearly embarrassed the Irish Government, which was blindsided,” ex-Europe minister Dick Roche told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I understand that Micheal Martin was very annoyed at it, that he made very strong representations to the (European) Commission."
Additional reporting by Press Association
Norway sets date for gradual easing of lockdown in capital’s region
Meanwhile over in Norway, the coronavirus lockdown in the capital’s region will be gradually loosened by early February.
Norway to start gradual easing of capital region’s lockdown in February
Schools will also see fewer restrictions, allowing for more classroom teaching and bigger groups of students
‘A stick for the EU to beat the UK with’
The Northern Ireland Protocol has been lambasted as a "stick for the EU to beat the UK with" after Brexit, following a vaccine row with the EU.
The DUP's Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: “That the EU was going to use the Northern Ireland Protocol as the very instrument to create a medicines border on the island of Ireland, to create a border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for the very thing that people are looking for most at the moment - this coronavirus vaccine - just left me feeling absolutely incredulous."
He told Times Radio: “I'm glad they backed down but I'm afraid the genie is out of the bottle and that genie is that the EU clearly sees the Northern Ireland Protocol as a stick to beat the UK with.”
Sir Jeffrey added: "They did it yesterday, they will do it again. That is why we have said to the Prime Minister this protocol is harming the integrity of the UK single market. It is harming the Northern Ireland economy."
The protocol is regarded with hostility by unionists as a border down the Irish Sea, and some DUP MPs have called for Article 16 to be triggered over delays faced by hauliers transporting goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
But antagonism reached a new level when the EU moved to use the protocol to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the bloc into Northern Ireland.
Additional reporting by Press Association
‘Almost Trumpian act’
A senior Conservative politician has drawn comparisons between the EU and Donald Trump after the bloc was forced to withdraw plans to try to block vaccine supply to Northern Ireland for fear it could be a back door route into the UK.
Kate Devlin, our Whitehall editor, reports:
Explained: Northern Ireland Protocol and Article 16
The Northern Ireland protocol has become caught up in a row over Covid vaccines. Here is a quick explanation:
Northern Ireland Protocol
It was the resolution to the main sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks: the Irish border.
In order to avoid disrupting cross-border trade and a return of checkpoints along the politically sensitive frontier, the EU and UK essentially agreed to move new regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea.
That means the checks are now focused on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland while goods are supposed to be able to move freely within the island of Ireland.
Trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is largely unaffected by the protocol and remains free flowing.
Article 16
This is a mechanism within the protocol that gives the EU and UK the ability to unilaterally suspend aspects of its operations if either side considers that aspect is causing "economic, societal or environmental difficulties".
It is only supposed to be triggered in the face of "serious" problems but there is no definition of what constitutes serious.
Article 16 is supposed to be a temporary measure, essentially an emergency brake, with both sides expected to then work to address the problem.
Why did the EU move to trigger it?
It was part of the bloc's efforts to place controls on the export of Covid vaccines amid its row with AstraZeneca over its supply contract.
The EU is seeking to limit the movement of vaccines produced within its members states to other countries.
In a UK context, the NI protocol theoretically presents a backdoor for exporters to circumvent those controls and move vaccines into Great Britain unfettered.
Trade from the EU into NI is unrestricted under the protocol, as is trade from NI to GB.
Triggering Article 16 in respect of the movement of the vaccines would have closed that backdoor.
PA
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