THE GUARDIAN: Maroš Šefčovič says Brussels has seen no concessions from UK side in Northern Ireland protocol dispute
Britain and the EU appear on the brink of a trade war after Brussels accused Boris Johnson of lacking sincerity in negotiations over Northern Ireland’s future and warned of “serious consequences” if Downing Street suspended the post-Brexit deal.
As he emerged from his latest tense meeting with the UK’s Brexit minister, the EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said that despite Brussels’ attempts to find a compromise, “we have seen no move at all from the UK side”.
The two sides have been locked in talks for three weeks over changes to how the Brexit deal works to ensure the free flow of trade between Britain and Northern Ireland. The EU has offered to cut customs controls in half and health checks on animal and plant products heading to supermarkets by 80%, but Šefčovič suggested there had been scant effort by David Frost, the Brexit minister, to engage with the proposals.
“I found this disappointing and once again I urge the UK government to engage with us sincerely,” Šefčovič said. “From this perspective, I see next week as an important one. We should focus all efforts on reaching a solution as soon as possible.
“Our aim should be to establish stability and predictability for Northern Ireland. We hear a lot about article 16 at the moment, but there’ll be no doubt that triggering article 16 to seek the negotiation of the protocol would have serious consequences. With video » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, November 5, 2021
