Thread by @faisalislam

interesting - minutes from EU health security committee, still attended by the UK, from time new variant exploded - UK told EU Early Warning and Response System about it on 14th December. A week later, a day after tier 4 extension UK invited to explain all here...:

In return ... 20 mainly EU nations respond at the Committee detailing varying degrees of travel ban imposed on UK at that time...

Eg above Ireland said that the restrictions should be strengthened and “should be uniform around the EU”...

European Commission “DG Move” immediately raised issue of moving PCR testing away from borders to avoid “severe disruptions” and keep trade moving...

This meeting was still during transition period. The UK-EU deal permits “ad hoc” access to the Early Warning System and “invited” access to meetings such as the above though only during serious health crises.. clearly both sides benefit from info exchange here...

At one point just under a year ago it was reported that the UK was not going to attend such meetings, and not ask for this type of access in the deal, but in the above exchanges, can clearly see why both sides agreed a form of it...

Full minutes here: ec.europa.eu/health/sites/h…