Barry Andrews MEP, who was recently appointed to the European Parliament’s Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, said;
“Tomorrow the European Parliament will adopt two reports which will guarantee the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland, which was thrown into disarray by Brexit, and the decision by the Johnson government to pursue a "hard" Brexit. The European Commission recognised the challenge this presented for Northern Ireland, which is why it took the extraordinary step of bringing forward a proposal to amend the EU's own legislation to ensure this security of supply. This was a powerful demonstration of the EU's commitment to ensuring that Northern Ireland does not pay the price for Boris Johnson's Brexit.
MEP Andrews commented -
“We recognise that the medicines issue has been a source of significant concern for people in Northern Ireland. This is why the European Parliament opted for a fast-track procedure to ensure that this issue was resolved as soon as possible. I am delighted that tomorrow, the European Parliament will adopt the Commission's proposal. None of the political groups tabled substantive amendments to this proposal, again streamlining this procedure and underlining our determination to bring an end to this sense of uncertainty. The EU has proved itself to be a reliable partner, entirely dedicated to de-escalating tensions, in what has sadly been a period of increased political tension."
MEP Andrews concluded -
“The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was negotiated, signed and ratified between the EU and the UK, and is the only solution to the kind of Brexit chosen by Prime Minister Johnson. We have a shared responsibility to jointly explore all solutions when contentious issues arise within the framework of the Protocol, and this is something we in the EU take incredibly seriously”.
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