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Dominic Raab 'totally misunderstands' Northern Ireland Brexit terms, warns EU

European vice-president Maroš Šefčovič says claim about Brussels trying to erect barrier down Irish Sea undermines UK’s reputation
Britain’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has been accused by Brussels of displaying a “total misunderstanding” of the Brexit deal after claiming the EU was trying to erect a barrier between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Maroš Šefčovič, the European commission’s vice-president, said Raab’s comments raised major questions, and warned that Britain was tarnishing its global reputation by ignoring the terms of its agreements with Brussels.
The EU on Monday launched legal proceedings against the UK over alleged breaches of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Brussels accused the UK of seeking to break international law for a second time by overriding the terms of the treaty to unilaterally extend a grace period on paperwork for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
Šefčovič, who acts as Britain’s Lord Frost’s EU counterpart on committees relating to Brexit, said the damage done to the UK’s image by its conduct had been evident during his discussions last week with a bipartisan group of US congress members known as the Friends of Ireland.
He pinpointed this week’s claims made by Raab, a former Brexit secretary, in which he had accused the EU of damaging the Good Friday agreement by seeking to “erect a barrier down the Irish Sea”, as a further reason for dwindling faith internationally in the British government.
“This is what I feel when I talk to my international partners; that was what I felt when I talked to the Friends of Ireland on the
The withdrawal agreement in effect left Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market and erected a customs border in the Irish Sea to avoid any checks on goods coming and going from the Irish Republic. It is a deal similar to that dismissed by Theresa May when she was prime minister on the basis that it created borders within the UK.
Šefčovič said Boris Johnson’s government had known what it was signing up to and that he had been “surprised” by the repeated attempts to avoid the consequences of border checks on goods, including for food safety and animal and plant health, known as sanitary and phytosanitary standards.
“If you look through the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, that’s very clear what we agreed to: that we would have the border control posts built and that is supposed to be built by the end of the last year,” he said.
“These checks and controls will be performed by the UK authorities, meaning the EU law will be fully applicable. That is the the gist of the deal.
“Our mutual responsibility is to make it as smooth as possible. Therefore, we offered in the previous times a customs union, a common SPS
This week the commission initiated a process that could result in the UK being taken to the European Court of Justice and facing potentially facing trade sanctions.
Šefčovič warned Frost that the UK was “on a path of a deliberate breach of its international law obligations and the duty of good faith”, demanding that the government reverse its unilateral decision to extend a grace period on key checks due to end on 1 April until “at least October”.
The commission has called on the UK to return to the negotiating table to find a way forward by the end of the month. Šefčovič, a former diplomat for the Slovakian government, said he had first met Frost, who has been accused of taking a confrontational approach with Brussels, “many years ago” and their last conversation had been “very polite, very courteous”.
“I think we both realise that we have the job to do and from my side what I want is to have as good a relationship with the UK as possible,” he said. “But, of course, I have to insist vehemently on respecting the deals we have signed.”
Šefčovič added: “It’s very difficult to operate in the environment where the government which signed and ratified this international law is actively advising the business community not to follow the rules and not respect the law. And, of course, we hope that this will be corrected.”
The UK government has said its extension of the grace periods is a pragmatic and lawful effort to allow traders further time to adapt to the changes brought by Brexit. A spokesman said “low-key operational measures like these are well precedented and common in the early days of major international treaties”.
A UK source said: “The EU needs to take a more look pragmatic approach and keep in mind that the protocol depends on cross-community consent and confidence if it is to work. It needs to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.
“We agree on the importance of getting around the table and, as we said on Monday, we are committed to discussing the issues within the joint committee in a constructive fashion.
“We have remained in touch with the EU throughout the process and have provided detail on our actions which were taken to minimise disruption in the ground in Northern Ireland.”
source: Daniel Boffey
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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