While the UK tries to “cool it” the EU ups the ante

Protocol checks in Northern Ireland get tighter without warning

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2022

Hauliers report border officials have adopted stricter interpretation of EU customs rules at Belfast and Larne

Without warning and unknown to the Northern Ireland Office or the Stormont minister responsible, Edwin Poots, officials have introduced tighter procedures at Ulster ports receiving trucks from Great Britain. Meanwhile the UK puts on kid gloves.

While the media and supporters of rejoining the EU are getting all upset at the Prime Minister comparing the British people’s love of freedom with that of the Ukrainians resisting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of their country, the reality is the EU is cranking up its own war machine – the war on British traders entering Northern Ireland.

Facts4EU.org is able to bring you the news of developments the media prefers not to not cover.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The true impact of the EU’s N.I. Protocol is being revealed

Effectively the Northern Ireland sea border has hardened without any notification or consultation
Average Great Britain to Northern Ireland retail delivery load now requires 18 export health certificates (EHCs) costing £200 each
One business expects to require 90,000 EHCs costing £18m a year
The cost will be passed on to consumers
29 new pieces of EU legislation could be introduced that would apply to Northern Ireland
The people and the devolved government in N.I. will have no say
“The Protocol has blown apart the Belfast Agreement," says Baroness Kate Hoey

Baroness Kate Hoey

“The Court of Appeal confirmed that the Act of Union had been “subjugated” by the Protocol, and further affirmed that this fundamental erosion of Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the Union (and indeed therefore of the Union itself) did not offend the principle of consent, which in fact only applies to the final handover of sovereignty.

“That is why the Court of Appeal ruling is of such significance. It renders the Belfast Agreement obsolete, because no unionist could ever again conceivably work its institutions or support it. It offers no protection for the Union at all, rather it actively facilitates its subjugation.

“The Protocol has blown apart the Belfast Agreement and it has seen Northern Ireland colonised, left primarily in the EU. No tinkering with the Protocol will suffice. The full restoration of Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom via the Acts of Union is required.”

- Kate Hoey, writing yesterday, 21 Mar 2022

Road Haulage Association calls out stricter regime

John Martin, from the Road Haulage Association, said border customs checks had been "enhanced a few weeks ago... without anybody actually being told".

In February a Northern Irish truck arriving in Belfast Port after coming by ferry from Cairnryan in Scotland was stopped to have its cargo of New Zealand and Australian lamb inspected. It was sent back to mainland Britain for failing to meet the paperwork requirements even though its papers had previously been acceptable.

The conclusion was that something had changed and the Road Haulage Association pressed on the issue. It was soon established the border officials were taking a stricter approach and this was unknown to the Minister, Edwin Poots. Effectively the Northern Ireland sea border had hardened without any notification or consultation. Officials had decided for themselves.

Photo: Stena ferry to Northern Ireland from Scotland

The potential for disruption and cost is big. Very big. Speaking to a Stormont Committee last week - Stormont is still sitting, it is only the Executive that is suspended and in abeyance - the Road Haulage Association reported that the average Great Britain to Northern Ireland retail delivery load requires 18 export health certificates (EHCs) issued by vets for about £200 each. One business expects to require 90,000 EHCs costing £18m a year, with the cost passed on to consumers.

European Scrutiny Committee reveals the scope of new EU laws

The House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee, chaired by Sir William Cash MP, has established that as many as 29 new pieces of EU legislation could be introduced that would apply to Northern Ireland.

That’s 29 new laws that the people of Northern Ireland have had no say in and for which they have no way of holding anyone accountable.

Areas that are covered by these changes include disposal of motor vehicles, minimum fuel duty rates, internet shopping customs duties, product standards on various consumer goods, toys and detergents, altering rates of duty on alcohol and tobacco, and VAT.

Photo left: Sir William Cash MP

These changes are just for the first year. There will no doubt be more – and this process will happen every year. The more these changes mount then the more documentation will be required to establish that the goods arriving in Northern Ireland will meet the new standards. Inevitably more and more trade will be discouraged and consequently substituted by sourcing from suppliers in the Republic of Ireland.

Observations

THE EU IS PLAYING WITH FIRE

Last week was a bad week for Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. The outcome of the Court of Appeal judgement on the judicial review of the Protocol and its conflict with the Acts of Union and the Belfast / good Friday Agreement was worse than expected. It not only found that the Protocol was legal, it also established that the Belfast Agreement did not bestow the rights to consultation on constitutional changes that it was believed it provided.

This in itself is bad enough, for it is bound to cause a large reset in Unionist attitudes and their political stance to the Belfast Agreement, believing that they have been sold a dummy. But worse still is that the full potential for damage the NI Protocol can do is slowly becoming visible. Digging into the detail at committees in Stormont and Westminster is revealing the scope of divergence that the EU is introducing to its regulations. Ironically it is not the UK that is yet diverging. This will add costs and paperwork that must inevitably restrict trade within the United Kingdom itself, making the act of Union meaningless.

Protocol is not even in full force yet

It should be remembered that the full extent of the Protocol’s rules have not yet been applied, for the UK has provided unilateral grace periods that have lessened the checks. Now it appears that officials at the customs borders are slowly but surely tightening up on the checks that they administer – without any authority and instruction from the Minister in charge, Edin Poots of the DUP.

It is strongly believed that it is the EU that has influenced the change in inspection procedures.

Meanwhile the Foreign Secretary dillies and dallies

This is taking place all the while the UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has been playing the Grand Old Duchess of York. When she was appointed to her role she wrote an article in the Daily Telegraph saying she would not shirk from suspending the Protocol. Then she entered into negotiations and, lo and behold, the deadline slipped. It was said that 21st February would be decision day, but it came and went. On 24th February Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine and soon after Liz Truss said suspending the Protocol was not appropriate. Then last week she announced she no longer trusted the negotiations and the Protocol might yet be suspended before the Stormont elections. She is neither up nor down...

The latest news on officials doing their own thing shows the Protocol is becoming unaccountable and out of control. It’s time to suspend the Protocol and save the Belfast Agreement – and any chance of democratic politics in Northern Ireland continuing to exist.

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[ Sources: House of Commons Committee papers | Road Haulage Association | Baroness Hoey | Parliament's European Scrutiny Committee | Belfast Telegraph ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Monday 21 March 2022

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Reader Comments 12

1. Melvyn Thomas , Monday, March 21, 2022, 11:11:

Now we’ve shown that we will accede to their demands, this is the next step in the bullying game.

2. Not4EU, London , Monday, March 21, 2022, 12:17:

We're back to "Now is not the right time..."
Just as "Now is not the right time to serve A50."
"Now is not the right time to walk away from negotiations."
"Now is not the right time to include our sovereign territory in the WA."
"Now is not the right time to confront French fishermen. "
"Now is not the right time to ...*"
*Insert any and all excuses used to delay & frustrate any actual or real leaving the EU.
It's a con. They have never had any intention of properly implementing the referendum result.
We need to rid ourselves of the EU placements in Parliament AND more importantly the Civil Service.
We now have Government by feelz & public 'displays' of emotion. No challenge to any of the feelz and often false 'facts' presented to the clapping empty-headed sheep who inhabit the Palace of Westminster. We have a puppet Parliament, a duma.
There is but a short time when it could be argued that Parliament was 'mistaken', but almost none of them have ever subsequently stood up to be counted, and fewer still for the so-called 'pandemic' and now the 'war'.
Just when did our system of law, Habeas Corpus, change to Corpus Juris? Sequestration of assets without evidence of a crime nor due process? Has the rule of law been completely abandoned in this country? When we look to the near future & the horrific 'Online Harms Bill' aka censorship of anything that doesn't agree with the 'official' narrative, just what future do these narcissistic psychopaths have planned for us? We've had a small taste of it already with the scamdemic - removal of liberties, the assumption that it's something that Parliament 'gifts' us (but only if you've been good), Govt by ministerial decree. Worse is to come.
Now is not the time to have a Govt and Parliament that hates this country and the indigenous people. Stop voting for the globalist uniparty (Con/lab/lib/grn) or things will never change for the better. They do NOT work for you, but other masters.

3. Steve , Monday, March 21, 2022, 15:34:

2. There is never a good time to make a bad decision. Be it day or night, a bad decision stubbornly remains as such.
The referendum result has been fully implemented - we are outcasts in Europe, have nothing to show for it but a bloody foot - oh, we have British passports (that we could have always had even when still in the EU) plus crowns printed on pint glasses - great job geniuses!

4. Mark , Monday, March 21, 2022, 17:46:

I am curious what the outcome of the NI Assembly elections will be on the 5th May. If the anti-NIP parties (like the DUP) do well, it will give the government additional political bargain power in their discussions with the EU.

5. KB , Monday, March 21, 2022, 19:04:

Still a notable silence from Facts4EU on the P&O situation. No condemnation on here -why would that be ?

6. ste , Monday, March 21, 2022, 20:26:

steve old chap, i think having elected accountable leaders again is WELL WORTH any short term problems we have, but feel free to inform us all how you create progressive, just societies with dictators and fake/sham parliaments, i'm sure we will await your long list of examples

7. jon livesey , Monday, March 21, 2022, 21:34:

3. Steve: Here are a couple of thoughts. First, if the UK is the outcast of Europe, then why is the EU's Michel talking about how close the cooperation is between Brussels and London on the question of Ukraine?
Second, maybe the real question is not how the UK is viewed in Europe, still mired in its resentment over Brexit, but how we are viewed in the World. I would take World opinion over EU opinion any day - isn't that why we left the EU? Wouldn't it be a bit daft to leave the EU and then fret over what they think? Come to that, how much did we ever care what they thought?

8. George Pearce , Monday, March 21, 2022, 22:21:

Who's "boots are on the ground" carrying out these border checks? If it's NI civil servants or GB's civil servants that have tightened up on checks, then the NI Government and the UK Government would have known about the changes. Is the reality that we have foreigners (i.e. E.U. staff) checking on goods movements within the UK? Who on earth ever gave that permission? When we read that a lorry has been turned away because the wrong colour ink has been used on the forms, or that the driver's sandwich doesn't have the correct paperwork it does imply that we have allowed idiots to run the system!

9. jon livesey , Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 01:53:

8. George Pearce: I have read that it's NI civil servants working under EU direction. I can't guarantee that because it's a complicated situation with a lot of different information flying around.
WFIW I agree that it's an idiotic situation.

10. William Davison , Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 09:01:

It is not "foreigners" who are carrying out checks at Belfast/Larne /Warrenpoint, it is NI/UK Civil Servants. Steve is wrong to say that the referendum result has been fully implemented, it hasn't as NI has effectively keep kept in the E.U., which will now exercise power, without democratic legitimacy or accountability. There is a good article in today's Unionist Voice website by Jim Allister QC, MLA, which sums up the attitude of most unionists to the current situation. Mr Allister is the leader of the TraditIonal Unionist Voice (TUV) party, which I feel might do quite well in the upcoming Assembly elections, to the detriment of both the D.U.P. and, particularly, the Ulster Unionist Party.

12 comments, page 1 of 2

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