Ditching UK-EU trade deal would cost Britain zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the European single market
A man waves a British flag on Brexit day in London, Britain, in this January 31 2020 file photo. Picture: REUTERS/HENRY NICHOLLS
The protocol does not define such difficulties so there is considerable ambiguity. According to annex 7, either side can take rebalancing measures one month after formal notification unless a solution can be found within that month.Triggering article 16 is seen in Brussels and Dublin as the nuclear option. But Britain says the way the protocol is being implemented is causing unforeseen trade friction and has made clear that unless the EU gives ground it will go ahead.
The EU briefly threatened to invoke article 16 in January 2021 to restrict exports of Covid-19 vaccines, but then scrapped the plan after an outcry in London. Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the triggering of article 16 would put “extraordinary pressure on parties in Northern Ireland”. “One is contingent on the other and so if one has been set aside there is a danger that the other will also be set aside by the EU.”