UK and Irish officials on UK-EU vaccine row

Former UK permanent secretary for exiting the European Union Philip Rycroft said Saturday that the EU move to potentially invoke the Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol was ''highly disproportionate and unnecessary.''

On Friday evening, the EU introduced tighter rules on exports of COVID-19 vaccines that could hit shipments to nations like the UK, deepening a dispute with London over scarce supplies of potentially life-saving shots.

But amid an outcry in Northern Ireland and the UK, the European Commission made clear the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccine shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to the small territory that is part of the United Kingdom bordering EU member Ireland. Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to Northern Ireland. The UK and Northern Ireland governments immediately lashed out at the move, saying the bloc invoked an emergency clause in its divorce deal with Britain to introducing controls on exports to Northern Ireland.

Goods are supposed to flow freely between the EU and Northern Ireland under special arrangements for the UK region designed to protect the peace process on the island of Ireland. But the EU later said it was not invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol allowing either side to override parts of their deal.

Rycroft told British broadcaster Sky News the EU did not appropriately check the relevant documents for taking such a decision and, more importantly, did not consult with the Irish government.

While Rycroft said he was glad the European Commission backed down, he added that there are great concerns that such incidents could reappear in the future on issues like goods export.

Irish Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne thanked the EU Commission for listening on Friday evening to concerns raised by himself, Johnson, and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.