@AnnieS , It’s wheremeither party can unilaterally withdraw from
any agreement they find unacceptable Annie 
Donkeyman! 
A divorce from a divorce?
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@Bruce , l agree Bruce, but the main problem was caused by the
fact that 80% of parliament disagreed with the outcome of
the referendum ?
Parliament was like a chicken house when a fox is about !!
Donkeyman! 
What is Article 16 NI protocol?
Article 16 of the protocol is a safeguard clause within the Northern Ireland Protocol that allows either party to take unilateral “strictly necessary” measures if applying the protocol “leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade”.
[
Northern Ireland Protocol - Wikipedia
I accept this is slightly on a tangent but I’ve just been rereading Article 16 and found this Annex attached to it. If I understand it correctly, triggering Art 16 doesn’t necessarily stop the Protocol immediately - there is a grace period for discussions to take place.
Annex 7
1. Where the Union or the United Kingdom is considering taking safeguard measures under Article 16(1) of this Protocol, it shall, without delay, notify the Union or the United Kingdom, as the case may be, through the Joint Committee and shall provide all relevant information.
2. The Union and the United Kingdom shall immediately enter into consultations in the Joint Committee with a view to finding a commonly acceptable solution.
3. The Union or the United Kingdom, as the case may be, may not take safeguard measures until 1 month has elapsed after the date of notification under point 1, unless the consultation procedure under point 2 has been concluded before the expiration of the state limit. When exceptional circumstances requiring immediate action exclude prior examination, the Union or the United Kingdom, as the case may be, may apply forthwith the protective measures strictly necessary to remedy the situation.
4. The Union or the United Kingdom, as the case may be, shall, without delay, notify the measures taken to the Joint Committee and shall provide all relevant information.*
5. The safeguard measures taken shall be the subject of consultations in the Joint Committee every 3 months from the date of their adoption with a view to their abolition before the date of expiry envisaged, or to the limitation of their scope of application. The Union or the United Kingdom, as the case may be, may at any time request the Joint Committee to review such measures.
6. Points 1 to 5 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to rebalancing measures referred to in Article 16(2) of this Protocol.
@Percy_Vere , Oh shyte Percy, l thought the whole shebang was
going to be called off??
Why are we so reluctant to trigger it then ??
It seems there are no consequences to invoking it!!
Or is there there a hidden clause tucked away somewhere ?
Donkeyman!
Hi
Triggering Article 16 means the other side can introduce sanctions.
We are still in discussions about our biggest exports to te EU, which are Services.
They can do us a lot of damage.
@swimfeeders , Oh, is that all ??
Nothing to worry about then, we seem to have got along ok
for five years wivvout em!!
Donkeyman!
Yep, we need to negotiate on the “Lip” services.
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