EU unhappy with ‘tone’ of Michael Gove letter over NI-GB border issues
The EU has rankled at UK suggestions there should be no extra checks on goods at the Northern Ireland-Great Britain border, with Brussels reportedly not happy with the tone of a letter from Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.
Irish broadcaster RTE reports that the EU saw Gove’s letter as an ultimatum and that officials believe the UK has not worked with Brussels to implement the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol.
Gove wrote to European Commission vice president Marcos Sefcovic yesterday asking for no additional checks on goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland until 2023, after concerns at the border since 1 January.
There have been reports of death threats to border guards with authorities forced to cancel checks to ensure staff safety.
The Brexit withdrawal agreement sees Northern Ireland remain in the EU’s single market and follow its customs union’s rules, unlike the rest of the UK.
This means there are checks on some goods goods going between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and a so-called border in the Irish sea ,wit exporters forced to fill in customs declaration forms.
This has infuriated Northern Irish unionists who claim the new protocol is driving a wedge between them and the rest of the UK.
Gove called for “political solutions” to ensure the smooth transport of chilled meats, mail and medicines between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
However, EU officials told RTE that the UK had not cooperated with Brussels and had not facilitated access to its customs IT systems that show the progress of goods travelling between the Irish Sea.
The UK promised to grant access to the EU to these systems, however Brussels claims it has now been withheld.