Brexit stalemate: Frost calls for ‘intensive’ talks with EU on Northern Ireland
Lord Frost has warned of “limited” progress on Northern Ireland at a Brussels meeting with the EU Commission sparking fears the UK will trigger Article 16.
Brexit minister Frost is attempting to renegotiate an agreement which requires goods sent between Britain and Northern Ireland to undergo customs checks to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland which is an EU member.
If consensus on how the protocol operates cannot be reached the UK has the option of dissolving the border unilaterally by triggering Article 16 – an outcome which looks increasingly likely now that talks have stalled.
A spokesperson for the government said that at today’s meeting “progress had been limited and that the EU’s proposals did not currently deal effectively with the fundamental difficulties in the way the Protocol was operating.
“In the UK view, these gaps could still be bridged through further intensive discussions,” the spokesperson continued, adding that a “consensual solution that protected the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland” remains the UK’s preference.
At today’s talks the UK’s fisheries policy, which has caused a rift with France, was also up for discussion.
While the French government says that fishing licences requested by fishermen have not been approved Lord Frost reiterated that the UK had licensed 98 per cent of EU vessels seeking to fish in UK waters in line with its obligations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
With negotiators at a stalemate Lord Frost and Vice President Maroš Šefčovič are preparing for a further round of talks in London next week with official-level discussions ongoing.
Read more: UK calls for ECJ to loosen grip on Northern Ireland trade rules