Thread by @tconnellyRTE

EU sources have expressed concern over the tone of Michael Gove’s letter to his European Commission counterpart on changes the UK is demanding to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

2/ The UK cabinet minister has demanded sweeping and swift changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol as the fallout continues from last week’s move by the Commission to trigger Article 16 of the Protocol over the issue of exports of Covid 19 vaccines.

3/ EU sources have said the letter resembled an ultimatum to the EU, as tensions mount in Northern Ireland over the impact of the Protocol, which has meant customs and food safety formalities on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

4/ Officials have also said that the UK has still not facilitated access for the EU to its customs IT system, so that EU officials are able to monitor in real time the flow of goods across the Irish Sea.

5/ The UK and EU signed a partnership agreement on December 17 in which London agreed to grant the EU access to HMRC’s data system. In return, the EU agreed to facilitate a trusted trader scheme which simplified customs formalities.

6/ However, EU sources say access has not yet been facilitated.

Officials also say that the UK has yet to make use of other flexibilities, such as data generated when goods are shipped by ferry from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

7/ Such data was envisaged as providing equivalent information to so-called exit summary declarations, which are normally required when goods leave the EU’s customs union.

8/ Earlier Mr Gove and his opposite number Maros Sefcovic held a forty minute video conference, along with the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland.

9/ Afterwards both sides agreed to a face to face meeting in London next week, under the auspices of the EU UK Joint Committee, set up to implement the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

10/ It’s understood EU customs and veterinary officials, operating alongside their Northern Ireland counterparts at Northern Ports, have still not been given clearance to return to their duties.

11/ This follows graffiti and alleged intimidation related antagonisms towards the Irish Sea border, brought about by the Protocol. RTE News understands there are 14 EU officials deployed in Northern Ireland, seven who are resident in NI and seven who are rotated in and out.

12/ In his letter Mr Gove said the EU needed to agree to far reaching changes to the Protocol in order to “stabilise” the situation in Northern Ireland.

13/ The changes include extending the three and six months grace periods, during which food consignments will be exempt from EU food safety controls, until at least January 1, 2023.