The UK government announced the withdrawal of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which provided for the circumvention of certain trade rules after Brexit, following the new "Windsor" agreement signed with the European Union.
In particular, the press office of the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stated that "the UK government will no longer proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, as the UK and the EU have reached a negotiated agreement."
Furthermore, under the new agreement, the European Union is expected to withdraw all legal actions it has initiated against Britain.
"The UK and the EU have agreed to work together to anticipate and address any further issues that may arise and have made a joint statement to resolve issues through dialogue rather than formal legal proceedings," the statement said.
In a joint press conference, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed the satisfaction of both parties for reaching this controversial agreement.
In particular, the British Prime Minister pointed out that the agreement on Northern Ireland opens "a new chapter" in London's relations with the European Union, after months of tension.
For her part, the President of the Commission noted that the new "Windsor" agreement between Britain and the European Union will work for everyone, while emphasizing that it "respects and protects both of our markets."
He added that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have the final say on EU legislation and single market issues, with Rishi Sunak stating that Stormont, the Parliament of Northern Ireland, will have the ability to veto the application of European Union laws in the province.
As it states, this regulation "establishes a clear procedure through which the democratically elected parliament will have the ability to pull the emergency brake on changes to the rules governing European Union products that will bring about significant and long-lasting changes to everyday life. If this brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto right."
He also stated that a vote on the Northern Ireland agreement is to be held in the UK parliament.
At the same time, the agreement was also "welcomed" by the Irish Foreign Minister and urged the region's parties to act quickly to form a local government and put an end to the political impasse in Northern Ireland.
"I have heard first-hand the concerns of many supporters of the political union of Britain and Northern Ireland. I believe they will see in this a genuine response to their genuine concerns," Micheal Martin, who was Irish prime minister for most of the negotiations, said in a statement.
"I recognise that it may take some time to work out the details of the agreement, but I would urge the political leaders in Northern Ireland to act quickly, to put in place institutions that can respond immediately to the needs of the people of Northern Ireland," he added.
It is recalled that the agreement reached aims to resolve the tensions caused in 2020 due to the Brexit arrangements concerning Northern Ireland and the maintenance of open borders with the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union.
The controversial agreement was also commented on by the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (DUP), who stated that his party is studying the legal texts published earlier on Monday (27/2), which set out the proposed new post-Brexit trade arrangements agreed between Britain and the EU.
He said that "significant areas of concern" still exist after the announcement of an agreement between London and Brussels.
"The DUP will want to study the details of what has been published today as well as examining the details of any and all legal texts on which it is based. Where necessary, we are ready to work with the government to seek further clarification, redrafting or changes as required," said Geoffrey Donaldson.
"We cannot disguise the fact that in some sectors of our economy EU law still applies in Northern Ireland."
"Clearly significant progress has been made on many issues, at the same time it must be acknowledged that there are still significant areas of concern," he said.
It should be noted that the DUP has been boycotting the Northern Ireland regional assembly for the past year in protest at controls between Britain and Northern Ireland in the post-Brexit era, and Donaldson said today that this "position of principle" has been vindicated.
