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Šefčovič says new tone from UK needs to lead to tangible solutions

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In a statement following today’s (19 November) meeting, European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič reiterated the need “to shift into a result-oriented mode and to deliver on the issues raised by Northern Irish stakeholders”.

Šefčovič said that it was essential that the change of tone from the UK-side, which was welcomed last week, “now leads to joint tangible solutions in the framework of the Protocol”. He stressed that progress was needed and that it was a test of political goodwill on the UK-side. 

The Vice President said that there had been “initial useful engagement at a technical level” on customs, but “urge” the UK government to make a clear move towards the EU in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary controls to reciprocate the big move made by the EU. 

The UK’s minister Lord Frost said significant gaps remained and while failing to meet the EU’s efforts to materially ease practical problems, continued to threaten to trigger Article 16 of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol, “in order to meet its responsibilities to the people of Northern Ireland.”

Earlier in the day Šefčovič addressed Dublin City University's Brexit Institute, in his speech he said that the Withdrawal Agreement, which includes the Northern Ireland Protocol, was a pre-condition for the Trade and Co-operation Agreement reached in 2020: "The two agreements are intrinsically linked – one cannot exist without the other."

With the exception of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), no significant Northern Irish political party is seeking the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly on this issue. The leader of the other major unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Doug Beattie has said that the issues linked to the protocol should be dealt with through negotiation.

The European Commission's efforts have also been welcomed by the non-aligned Alliance Party and nationalist parties (Sinn Fein and the SDLP), yesterday MP's from the UK's Northern Ireland Select Committee met with MEPs on the European Parliament's EU-UK co-ordination group.

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