Brexit
German economy worried about Northern Ireland dispute
A checkpoint at the Port of Belfast. Photo: Peter Morrison/PA Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In Northern Ireland it’s back and forth – actually goods from Great Britain have to be checked there according to an agreement with the EU. The dispute is also causing concern for German companies.
The dispute over the Brexit controls in Northern Ireland, which have been suspended in the meantime, has worried the German economy.
“From the point of view of the German economy, it is worrying that the exit agreement, including the Northern Ireland Protocol, has been repeatedly questioned by Great Britain since Brexit was completed,” said Martin Wansleben, General Manager of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday ). “This also makes the entire UK business less secure for German and European companies.”
Northern Ireland surprisingly announced on Wednesday that it would suspend controls on goods from Great Britain. On Friday, a court in Belfast temporarily stopped the advance.
Wansleben demanded that the EU should continue to act resolutely and stand up for European economic interests. “British plans to deviate from EU rules and standards, for example in data protection, food or chemicals, also increase transaction costs for German companies in UK business,” he said. In view of the close networking of the economy on both sides of the English Channel, a positive future agenda from the European Union and Great Britain is urgently needed for companies.
According to DIHK information, German companies in Great Britain have around 2,500 branches with more than 400,000 employees. British companies have 1,500 branches in Germany with around 300,000 employees.