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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 28 June 2022
U.K. presses on with Brexit rules rewrite; EU calls it illegal

By JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIA tween the two major eco-
HUI nomic partners.
Associated Press Irish foreign affairs minister
LONDON (AP) — British Simon Coveney said he
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “hugely disappointed”
signalled Monday that a that the U.K. government is
plan to rip up parts of the still pursuing its “unlawful”
post-Brexit trade deal he approach to the Northern
signed with the European Ireland Protocol.
Union could become law “This is not the way to find
by the end of the year. sustainable solutions to the
Lawmakers began debat- genuine concerns of peo-
ing legislation that rewrites ple and business in North-
trade rules for Northern Ire- ern Ireland and only adds
land on Monday, the first to uncertainty,” he said.
step on what could be a The bloc’s ambassador to
rocky journey through Par- Britain, Joao Vale de Al-
liament. meida, said Britain’s plan
If approved by lawmakers, was “illegal because it is
the legislation would re- a breach of international
move checks on goods en- law, a breach of EU law,
tering Northern Ireland from U.K. law and international
the rest of the U.K., thereby law.”
scrapping parts of a trade Demonstrators protest outside Hillsborough Castle, ahead of a visit by British Prime Minister Boris “It is a treaty that we
treaty that Johnson signed Johnson, in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, Monday, May, 16, 2022. signed, ratified and even
before Britain left the EU in Associated Press went through a general
2020. move is justified under in- liament Monday. feats. election in this country,” he
Johnson said he thought ternational law because of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss But Johnson said Monday told Times Radio.
the plan could be ap- the “genuinely exceptional replied that the govern- that questions about his Northern Ireland is the only
proved “fairly rapidly” if Par- situation.” ment’s plans are the only leadership were no longer part of the U.K. that shares
liament cooperates. Asked Johnson’s opponents, how- solution to resolve trade relevant. a border with an EU coun-
if the measures could be ever, say the move is illegal. problems in Northern Ire- “We settled that a couple try, Ireland.
in place this year, he said: “Many of us are extremely land because the EU has of weeks ago,” he told When Britain left the Euro-
“Yes, I think we could do concerned that the bill bra- been unwilling to reopen reporters in Germany, re- pean Union and its border-
it very fast, Parliament will- zenly breaks a solemn inter- negotiations. ferring to his survival in a less free-trade zone, the
ing.” national treaty, it trashes The plans have caused no-confidence vote three two sides agreed to keep
The British government says our international reputa- concern among some of weeks ago. the Irish land border free
the rules, known as the tion, it threatens a trade Johnson’s fellow Conser- The EU has threatened to of customs posts and other
Northern Ireland Protocol, war at a time when our vatives, already worried retaliate against the U.K. if checks because an open
are burdening businesses economy is flat and it puts about his judgment and it goes ahead with its plan border is a key pillar of the
and undermining peace in us at odds with our most im- popularity following a se- to rewrite the rules of the peace process that ended
Northern Ireland. portant ally,” Conservative ries of ethics scandals and post-Brexit deal, raising the decades of violence in
It argues the unilateral Andrew Mitchell said in Par- two special election de- specter of a trade war be- Northern Ireland.q

Angry farmers block Dutch highways to protest pollution plan

THE HAGUE, Netherlands around the country were a highway near the town of
(AP) — Farmers driving affected by the protests. Liessel, some 150 kilometers
tractors blocked highways Justice Minister Dilan Yesil- (93 miles) southeast of the
in the Netherlands on Mon- göz-Zegerius condemned capital, Amsterdam. On at
day and set small blazes the protests. least two more highways,
outside at least two town “Several highways are cur- farmers drove or parked
halls in the latest protest rently blocked by farmers. their tractors, snarling traf-
sparked by a government You don’t make your point fic. The Dutch governing
pledge to rein in pollution by endangering road users. coalition has mandated
emissions, a move that will This can have serious con- reductions in emissions of
hit the country’s agriculture sequences. Then the po- nitrogen oxides and am-
sector. lice have no choice but to monia of up to 70% in many
Authorities urged motorists intervene where possible, areas of the country close
to check traffic updates if necessary afterwards. to protected nature areas
before setting off, amid the Don’t let it get that far,” the even reaching as high as
protests that follow a gath- minister tweeted. 95% in some places. The
ering last week of tens of Dutch broadcaster NOS re- government has been
thousands of farmers in the ported that farmers lit small forced to act after courts in
central Netherlands that fires outside town halls in recent years began block- Dutch farmers protesting against the government’s plans to
also caused traffic chaos the city of Apeldoorn and ing permits for infrastruc- reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia gather for
a demonstration at Stroe, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 22,
around the country. the town of Epe in the cen- ture and housing projects 2022.
“We advise road users to tral Netherlands. because the country was Associated Press
be extra alert,” the gov- Earlier, local broadcaster missing its emissions targets.
ernment’s road and water Omroep Brabant showed a The government has ear- to finance agricultural re- duce their number of live-
department said in a state- truck dumping large, plas- marked an extra 24.3 bil- forms that will likely make stock or to get rid of them
ment. Several highways tic-covered bales of hay on lion euros ($25.6 billion) many farmers drastically re- altogether.q