EU article 16

[Baileysforchristmas]

What does everyone think of the EU after their terrible behaviour re AZ and article 16 towards Ireland’s border?

So when Boris threatens it, which he did, after years of proposals and a WA that threatens the GFA and puts a border down the Irish Sea it's totally fine. When the EU threaten it in relation to vaccines only, it's the end of the world. Right then.

The EU didn't threaten....they just announced it without informing anyone, never mind consulting. And they did it deliberately to try and circumvent vaccine contracts because they had fucked up.

Not comparable at all.

Boris threatened it in response to issues that were ALREADY happening with the Brexit arrangement ie getting a flow of goods into Northern Ireland which is having an effect on people’s lives and livelihoods

The EU WENT AHEAD and TRIGGERED it without any consultation whatsoever over something that merely had the POTENTIAL of happening. They did this at 8pm on a Friday night with NI businesses then scrambling to work out what this meant. They couldn’t have stopped vaccines getting into NI from ROI without closing the land border , something which they took the moral high ground over for the last 5 years. Nobody knew what the hell was happening. ROI didn’t know if they were expected to head out and man a physical border.

It was clearly a hostile and retaliatory move which showed they were getting geared up for a vaccine war which placed both NI and ROI firmly in position on the front line.

Frankly we are still reeling from it here tonight

Up thread someone queried the use of the word steal in regard to what the EU was/is trying to do. Well their decision to implement export controls would have directly effect on us and no one else really. In that our, already paid for vaccines from Pfizer could have been held to ransom by the EU for no other reason than to twist our arms. It would be illegal for them to divert these vaccines to EU companies as they already belong to us so that is what they would have been stealing. They also have no legal right to hold up vaccines and keep hold of them when they are needed else where.

A lot of people who were screaming for Boris to resign when he proposed the possibility of breaking international law don't seem to have much to say about the EU actually doing so.

Sturgeon and Blackford seem to have taken a break from media appearances.

*It was clearly a hostile and retaliatory move which showed they were getting geared up for a vaccine war which placed both NI and ROI firmly in position on the front line.
*
Completely agree with this!

@blubberyboo

Not comparable at all.

Boris threatened it in response to issues that were ALREADY happening with the Brexit arrangement ie getting a flow of goods into Northern Ireland which is having an effect on people’s lives and livelihoods

The EU WENT AHEAD and TRIGGERED it without any consultation whatsoever over something that merely had the POTENTIAL of happening. They did this at 8pm on a Friday night with NI businesses then scrambling to work out what this meant. They couldn’t have stopped vaccines getting into NI from ROI without closing the land border , something which they took the moral high ground over for the last 5 years. Nobody knew what the hell was happening. ROI didn’t know if they were expected to head out and man a physical border.

It was clearly a hostile and retaliatory move which showed they were getting geared up for a vaccine war which placed both NI and ROI firmly in position on the front line.

Frankly we are still reeling from it here tonight

Agreed Blubberyboo.

It felt like we were just a commodity to be exploited for their own aims and to hell with the consequences.

It's astonishing anyone would think a decision like this would be taken by a naive misguided "night watch bod". Hello? This is the EU. There will have been multiple micro meetings and documents worked through before triggering. They know exactly what they're doing.

Germany is now threatening legal action against laboratories that fail to deliver to the EU.

When did the German government start stepping in for the EU?

The stupid thing about threatening legal action, is that could be in the courts for years.

The people of the EU need vaccines now so rather than trying to bully companies, the Germans and the EU would be much better trying to help the companies sort the production issues. Damaging a commercial relationship they will need for years to come is counterproductive. It won't make the vaccine grow any faster.

Politicians behaving like a bunch of spoilt five year olds. Again. I'm sorry to say, I am now glad we left.

Interesting read, I don’t think the Germans are impressed with Ursula, it makes even more bonkers Germany are going down the legal route, who will want to do business again with the EU?

www.thelocal.de/20210130/germany-assures-worried-states-that-further-5-million-vaccine-doses-are-on-the-way

Who would you prefer to run your company Ursula or Katie Bingham?

@cdtaylornats

A lot of people who were screaming for Boris to resign when he proposed the possibility of breaking international law don't seem to have much to say about the EU actually doing so.

Sturgeon and Blackford seem to have taken a break from media appearances.

A16 is not a breach of international law. It's designed to be a short term measure whilst issues are resolved. The U.K. on the other hand voted to break international law and threaten the GFA.

@Mintjulia

The stupid thing about threatening legal action, is that could be in the courts for years.

The people of the EU need vaccines now so rather than trying to bully companies, the Germans and the EU would be much better trying to help the companies sort the production issues. Damaging a commercial relationship they will need for years to come is counterproductive. It won't make the vaccine grow any faster.

Politicians behaving like a bunch of spoilt five year olds. Again. I'm sorry to say, I am now glad we left.

What do you suppose the EU are actually doing whilst the U.K. press whip this out of all proportion?

Hopefully they have admitted to themselves that they cocked up and were too slow, no-one else.

They should be talking to their suppliers to develop a plan that can actually be achieved. Then talking to each national government and agreeing where vaccines will go first and when so mass vaccinations can be organised quickly. Looking at approving more vaccines so they increase the number of potential suppliers.

And hopefully offering a genuine and heartfelt apology to the Irish govt, that some idiot pen pusher tried to make legal changes to the border management of an independent Republic without bothering to consult or even having the courtesy to notify the Irish. Requiring their staff to attend basic diplomacy training.

That would be a good start!