May 18, 2020

The first meeting of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Specialised Committee was held on 30 April 2020 via video conference, co-chaired by officials from the UK Government and European Commission. This Committee was tasked by the first meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee held on 30 March 2020 to start work on implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A representative from the Northern Ireland Executive also attended as part of the UK delegation.

The Government says that the UK and the EU exchanged updates on the implementation of the Protocol and discussed the preparatory work for future decisions to be taken by the Joint Committee. The UK was clear that its approach at all times will be focused on protecting the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and gains of the peace process, and on preserving Northern Ireland’s place in the UK. UK officials reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to complying with its legal obligations under the Protocol, “just as we expect the EU to comply with theirs”.

The two sides agreed to convene the Joint Consultative Working Group established under the Protocol, which will be a further forum for discussion in relation to the Protocol. To read the UK Government’s statement in full, click here.

The European Commission said in its statement that the discussion took place “in a constructive atmosphere”. It also said that the proper and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement remains “a key priority” for the EU, in particular for maintaining peace and stability on the island of Ireland in the context of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, while ensuring the integrity of the Single Market. “A new partnership can only be built on the faithful and effective implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement”, it said.

The Commission underlined “the importance of the UK setting out its plans with regard to all implementation measures prescribed by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and providing a detailed timetable”. The exchanges in the Specialised Committee now “urgently need to be followed up by tangible measures”. The Commission said that it remains ready to work with the UK to ensure the Protocol can be applied in full from 1 January 2021. To read the Commission’s statement in full, click here.