LONDON (Reuters) – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland said the European Union’s pledge of legal action over the extension of grace periods for UK trade shows that its priority is to protect the trade bloc, not the peace deal from Belfast.
“They are only interested in protecting their bloc, they are not, as they claim, in protecting the Belfast agreement,” Arlene Foster told BBC radio on Friday.
“If they were, they wouldn’t be acting like they’re taking a gift.”
The European Union said on Wednesday it would take legal action after the British government unilaterally extended a grace period for checks on food imports into Northern Ireland, a measure that Brussels said violated the terms of Britain’s divorce agreement. Brittany.
Foster said the purpose of the protocol was to prevent UK products from entering the EU’s single market, but its effects, and the measures taken in both London and Brussels, were “totally disproportionate” to the risks.
“We need (the protocol) to be replaced because it certainly extends the grace periods is just to tackle what are really fundamental problems in terms of trade,” she said.
“There is a fundamental misunderstanding with the European Union as to the damage they are causing.”
Since the EU’s promise of legal action, loyal Northern Ireland paramilitary groups have said they are temporarily withdrawing support for the 1998 peace agreement, known as the Belfast Peace Agreement or Good Friday Agreement, due to concerns over the Brexit agreement.
Reporting by Paul Sandle and Sarah Young; edition of Costas Pitas / Guy Faulconbridge