Declaration by Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol
The	   United	   Kingdom	   reiterates	   its	   wish	   to	   establish	   a	   future	   partnership	   that	   is	   as	   close	   and	   strong	  
as	   possible,	  given	  the	  global	  challenges	  it	  shares	  with	  the	  European	  Union,	  and	  underlines	  its	  commitment	  
to	  embark	   on	   preparations	   immediately	   after	   the	   signature	   of	   the	   Withdrawal	   Agreement	   to	   ensure	  
that	   negotiations	  on	  the	  future	  relationship	  can	  start	  as	  soon	  as	  possible	  after	  withdrawal.	  
In	  that	  light,	  the	  United	  Kingdom	  notes,	  subject	  to	  Article	  1(4)	  of	  the	  Protocol	  on	  Ireland/Northern	  Ireland,	  
that	   the	   objective	   of	   the	   Withdrawal	   Agreement	   is	   not	   to	   establish	   a	   permanent	   relationship	   between	   the	  
Union	  and	  the	  United	  Kingdom,	  and	  that	  the	  provisions	  of	  the	  Protocol	  are	  therefore	  intended	  to	  apply	  only	  
temporarily,	   taking	   into	   account	   the	   commitments	   of	   the	   Parties	   set	   out	   in	   Article	   2(1).	   The	   preamble	   to	   the	  
Protocol	  further	  recalls	  that	  the	  Withdrawal	  Agreement,	  which	  is	  based	  on	  Article	  50	  TEU,	  does	  not	  aim	  at	  
establishing	  a	  permanent	  future	  relationship	  between	  the	  Union	  and	  the	  United	  Kingdom.	  
The	   United	   Kingdom	   wishes	   to	   record	   its	   understanding	   of	   the	   effect	   of	   this	   provision	   if,	   contrary	   to	  
the	   intentions	   of	   the	   parties,	   it	   is	   not	   possible	   for	   them	   to	   conclude	   an	   agreement	   which	   supersedes	  
the	   Protocol	   in	   whole	   or	   in	   part	   due	   to	   a	   breach	   of	   Article	   5	   of	   the	   Withdrawal	   Agreement	   by	   the	   Union.	  
The	  United	   Kingdom	   would	   not	   consider	   its	   application	   to	   be	   temporary	   in	   these	   circumstances,	   as	   in	   its	  
view	   the	   Protocol	   would	   then	   constitute	   a	   permanent	   relationship	   between	   the	   Union	   and	   the	   United	  
Kingdom.	  Article	   1(4)	   makes	   clear	   this	   is	   not	   the	   Parties’	   intention.	   If	   under	   these	   circumstances	   it	   proves	  
not	  to	  be	  possible	  to	  negotiate	  a	  subsequent	  agreement	  as	  envisaged	  in	  Article	  2	  of	  the	  Protocol,	  the	  United	  
Kingdom	  records	   its	   understanding	   that	   nothing	   in	   the	   Withdrawal	   Agreement	   would	   prevent	   it	   from	  
instigating	   measures	   that	   could	   ultimately	   lead	   to	   disapplication	   of	   obligations	   under	   the	   Protocol,	   in	  
accordance	  with	  Part	  Six,	  Title	  III	  of	  the	  Withdrawal	  Agreement	  or	  Article	  20	  of	  the	  Protocol,	  and	  under	  the	  
proviso	   that	   the	   UK	   will	   uphold	   its	   obligations	   under	   the	   1998	   Agreement	   in	   all	   its	   dimensions	   and	   under	   all	  
circumstances	  and	  to	  avoid	  a	  hard	  border	  on	  the	  island	  of	  Ireland.