Roy Beggs MLA, the Ulster Unionist Infrastructure spokesperson, has expressed his shock that the UK Government cannot legislate for a more environmentally friendly petrol, E10, to be used in Northern Ireland at the same time as the rest of the UK. They have announced that they are legislating for GB only and will be contacting the EU Commission as they say they are required to do under the NI Protocol.
Roy Beggs MLA said:
“Ulster Unionists repeatedly warned against creating a regulatory border down the Irish Sea. At the start, the UK Government and the Secretary of State were pretending that there was no border down the Irish Sea. However, as more and more problems arise it is becoming increasingly obvious that a border has been created in the Irish Sea and it may even have longer tentacles than unionists had feared.
“I was shocked to learn at the end of the recent consultation on introducing a more environmentally friendly petrol, HMG have announced that they are legislating for GB only and writing to the EU, no doubt to seek approval for similar changes to be made to Northern Ireland`s laws. Our UK Government cannot even unilaterally assist in reducing CO2 emissions in Northern Ireland by legislating for E10 petrol and making continuing provision for E5 petrol at the same time as the rest of the UK. Instead, because of the NI Protocol, they must contact the EU Commission.”
