What is the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and what was the issue?
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (‘Protocol’) is an integral part of the European Union – United Kingdom Withdrawal Agreement. After long and intensive negotiations, the EU and the UK agreed the Protocol in 2020 to protect the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, and ensure the integrity of the EU Single Market.
The Protocol entered into force on 1 February 2020, with all its provisions applying since 1 January 2021.
The Commission has from the beginning shown genuine understanding for unforeseen practical challenges in the operation of the Protocol, affecting the everyday lives of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.
Over the past months, the European Commission and the UK government have therefore worked intensively together to find joint solutions in response to these challenges. Only joint solutions can ensure lasting certainty and predictability for all communities in Northern Ireland.
Source ec.europa.eu
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