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LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday she intends to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make changes to the Northern Ireland protocol, which was part of the Brexit divorce deal.
“I am announcing our intention to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make changes in the protocol,” she told parliament.
Truss said Britain’s preference remained a negotiated solution with the European Union, and would continue speaking to EU negotiator Maros Sefcovic. She said she had invited Sefcovic to London for more talks as soon as possible.
She said a legislative solution was not about scrapping the Northern Ireland protocol and remained consistent with Britain’s obligations in international law.
The legislation, she said, would involve a dual regulatory regime designed to ensure goods moving to Northern Ireland and staying there would be free of unnecessary administrative burden.
“The bill will remove regulatory barriers to goods made to UK standards being sold in Northern Ireland. Businesses will be able to choose between meeting UK or EU standards in a new dual regulatory regime,” she said.
“It will continue to ensure there is no hard border on the island of Ireland.” (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by Muvija M, editing by William James)
