CARBIS BAY • Britain will do "whatever it takes" to protect its territorial integrity in a trade dispute with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday, threatening emergency measures if no solution was found.
The threat by Mr Johnson seemed to break a temporary truce in a war of words over part of the Brexit deal that covers border issues with Northern Ireland, the focus for tensions since Britain completed its exit from the EU late last year.
Despite United States President Joe Biden encouraging the parties involved to find a compromise, Mr Johnson used a Group of Seven (G-7) summit to indicate no softening in his position on what is called the Northern Ireland Protocol that covers border issues with the British province.
"I think we can sort it out but... it is up to our EU friends and partners to understand that we will do whatever it takes," Mr Johnson told Sky News.
"I think if the protocol continues to be applied in this way, then we will obviously not hesitate to invoke Article 16," he added, referring to a safeguard clause that allows either side to take measures if they believe the agreement is leading to economic, societal or environment difficulties.
"I've talked to some of our friends here today, who do seem to misunderstand that the UK is a single country, a single territory. I just need to get that into their heads."
His comments came after he met French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and top EU officials Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel at a G-7 summit in south-western England.
The EU told the British government once again that it must implement the Brexit deal in full and introduce checks on certain goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland. Britain repeated its call for urgent and innovative solutions to ease the friction.
The province has an open border with EU member Ireland, so the Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed as a way to preserve the bloc's single market after Britain left.
The protocol essentially kept the province in the EU's Customs union and adhering to many of the single market rules, creating a regulatory border in the Irish Sea between the British province and the rest of the United Kingdom.
Since Britain exited the bloc's orbit, Mr Johnson has unilaterally delayed the implementation of some provisions of the protocol, including checks on chilled foods such as sausages moving from the mainland to Northern Ireland, saying it was causing disruption to some supplies to the province.
"Both sides must implement what we agreed on," Ms von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said after meeting Mr Johnson alongside Mr Michel, the European Council president.
REUTERS
