Tweet

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @tconnellyRTE

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

3 Feb

EU sources have expressed concern over the tone of Michael Gove’s letter to his European Commission counterpart on changes the UK is demanding to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

2/ The UK cabinet minister has demanded sweeping and swift changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol as the fallout continues from last week’s move by the Commission to trigger Article 16 of the Protocol over the issue of exports of Covid 19 vaccines.

3/ EU sources have said the letter resembled an ultimatum to the EU, as tensions mount in Northern Ireland over the impact of the Protocol, which has meant customs and food safety formalities on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Read 13 tweets

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

3 Feb

@michaelgove

Having read through @michaelgove's letter to @MarosSefcovic, a few things stand out:

2/ The letter is top heavy on the Article 16 debacle. The reaction in NI had been "overwhelming"... Gove writes: "I had expected a strong response, but the reaction was even more negative than I had anticipated."

3/ "Across all political parties, civic society and business organisations in NI there was a sense of shock and anger."

Read 28 tweets

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

3 Feb

Amid the hail of accusations that the EU wanted to put a hard border on the island of Ireland last Friday, it's worth pointing out what the ill-fated resort to Article 16 was about:

2/ Under the Commission's trade mechanism, any Covid vaccines leaving the EU for third countries would need export authorisations, ie to ensure vaccines were not being exported which were actually part of an avanced purchase agreement between member states + pharma companies

3/ Any movements of exports from one member state to another would NOT have required such an export authorisation

Read 9 tweets

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

29 Jan

NEW: senior figure says a resolution to the Article 16 row is "in sight" and could come before the end of the evening.

Second source says Commission is working on a solution and Article 16 is "unlikely to be triggered"

Safe to say, IMHO, that the Commission made a mistake here and know it.

Read 4 tweets

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

29 Jan

@rtenews

The Irish government was not alerted by the European Commission of the decision to trigger Article 16 of the NI Protocol as part of its launch of the vaccine transparency mechanism, @rtenews understands

@vonderleyen

2/ Officials have spoken of their "shock" and "concern" at the move. The Taoiseach Micheal Martin has spoken by phone to @vonderleyen "more than once"

3/ Officials suspect the Commission's Brexit Task Force was not alerted to the move, or was alerted "late in the day". Maros Sefcovic, who chairs the Joint Committee implementing the NI Protocol has been in touch with Michael Gove, his opposite number, it's understood

Read 8 tweets

Tony Connelly

@tconnellyRTE

29 Jan

@ericmamer

Here's the European Commission's first reaction to the publication of the contract, as per spokesman @ericmamer
"There are a number of plants which are mentioned in the contract we have with AstraZeneca, some of which are located in the United Kingdom...

2/ "...and that it is foreseen that these plants will contribute to the efforts of AstraZeneca to deliver doses to the European Union.

"There is absolutely no question for us that this is what the contract specifies.

3/ "We are convinced that this applies to the fact when we signed the advanced purchase agreement, the vaccines of course did not yet exist. They were in the process of being developed.

Read 7 tweets

Share this page!

Tony Connelly

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

More from @tconnellyRTE

Tony Connelly

Tony Connelly

Tony Connelly

Tony Connelly

Tony Connelly

Tony Connelly

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Like this author's thread?