Europe Editor
Late on 7 December, Michael Gove and Maros Šefcovic posed for a picture, smiling beneath their masks, on the fifth floor of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. Pleased to announce that thanks to hard work, Michael Gove and I have reached an agreement in principle on all issues re the Withdrawal Agreement, the Commission vice-president tweeted. This will ensure it is fully operational as of 1 Jan.
Gove and Šefcovic had reason to be relieved. They had just spent 12 hours locked in negotiations to grind out the final compromises on how the Protocol would be implemented.
It drew a line under a year of acrimony, during which Boris Johnson had threatened to break international law with the Internal Market Bill, and there were (unfounded) allegations the EU would impose a food blockade on Northern Ireland.
Brexit: Boris Johnson says he ll consider triggering Article 16 of Northern Ireland Protocol kingdomfm.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kingdomfm.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Brexit: Boris Johnson calls for urgent action from EU after it undermined Northern Ireland Protocol manxradio.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from manxradio.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UPDATE: UK s Gove Warns EU After Brussels Puts Brakes On Jabs Movement
Fri, 29th Jan 2021 21:45
(Alliance News) - The UK government has warned the EU it is considering action after the bloc imposed export controls on coronavirus vaccines and impinged on the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove spoke to the EU on Friday to express concern at its triggering of an aspect of the Northern Ireland Protocol to stop the unimpeded flow of jabs from the bloc into the region.
Downing Street warned the EU as a friend and ally not to disrupt the supply of vaccines, as the bloc took the surprise step while embroiled in a row with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca PLC over shortfalls in the delivery of jabs.