EU-UK talks fail to break deadlock on Northern Ireland Brexit checks

By Gavin Cordon and Sam Blewett, PA

Talks aimed at ending the deadlock over the implementation of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement in Northern Ireland have ended without a breakthrough.

Following a three-and-a-half hour meeting with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, Brexit minister Lord Frost said they had had a “frank and honest” discussion and had agreed to continue the negotiations.

“There weren’t any breakthroughs. There aren’t any breakdowns either and we’re going to carry on talking,” he said.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of continuing tensions over checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK as required under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the agreement.

Lord Frost refused to rule out the prospect that the UK could unilaterally delay the implementation of checks on chilled meats – due to come in at the end of the month – if there was no agreement before then.

Pictured - Lord Frost

Lord Frost said: “Obviously we did discuss that subject amongst many others today. There weren’t any breakthroughs on it and we continue to consider all our options on that and many other issues.”

He added: “What we really now need to do is very urgently find some solutions which support the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, support the peace process in Northern Ireland and allow things to return to normal.

“What the EU is insisting on is we should operate the protocol in an extremely purist way. The reality is that it’s a very balanced document that’s designed to support the peace process and deal with the very sensitive politics in Northern Ireland.

“It’s obviously best to find a negotiated agreement if we can and that’s what we are really intending to do. If we can’t, and we’re working very hard to do it, then obviously we consider all our options for next steps.”

Pictured - Maros Sefcovic

In a statement following the meeting the Government expressed concern that there had been no “substantive progress” across a range of issues and warned there was a danger the supply of medicines could be affected unless there was an early breakthrough.

“The UK will continue to put forward detailed proposals, as we have throughout this year, and looks forward to discussing any proposals the EU may put forward,” it said.

“There is an urgent need for further discussions in order to make real progress, particularly to avoid disruption to critical supplies such as medicines.”

Meanwhile, Stormont deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said progress had been made in some areas during the meeting – including on the supply of medicines from GB – but she said there was “still a way to go” on other sticking points.

Ms O’Neill said the UK Government needed to honour the commitments it signed up to in the NI Protocol.

“I think certainly we’re probably at a crossroads point, I think that was certainly the indication from the EU side,” she told a Stormont press conference.

“Certainly there’s a frustration that the British Government have signed up to this agreement however they have failed to bring forward ways to implement the Protocol in its entirety.”

On the issue of potential restrictions on medicine supplies into Northern Ireland from Great Britain when a grace period ends at the end of 2021, Ms O’Neill said: “We discussed in particular the issue of medicines, which is important that we find a solution there.

“And I think all sides are willing to do so and I’d be hopeful that there will be a solution found there, but there still is more work to be done.”

Deputy FM @moneillsf says she addressed "head on" that the protocol has "afforded opportunity" during a Brexit meeting between the EU and UK.

She says "It does afford protection to the local business community" and also access to both British and EU markets.@sinnfeinireland pic.twitter.com/8sh5ogMKJa

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 9, 2021

Michelle O’Neill said it was made clear to the UK Government that an agreement with the EU on veterinary standards, even a temporary one, would remove the need for the majority of the new checks.

Ms O’Neill said she used her contribution to the discussions to highlight that the DUP does not speak for the majority of people in Northern Ireland.

The Sinn Fein vice president said she also challenged the narrative that everyone in the region believes the Protocol should be scrapped.

“I took the opportunity at the meeting to address head-on with the EU Commission and indeed with David Frost that the Protocol has afforded opportunity, it does afford protection to the local business community here but it certainly affords opportunity in that we have access to both the British market and the EU market,” she said.