NEW: The European Commission has said it is “fully committed” to the Good Friday Agreement and to the proper implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
2/ Asked for its response to the legal action supported by the main NI unionist parties and a number of British politicians against the Protocol, on the basis that it contravenes both the 1800 Act of Union and the Good Friday Agreement...
3/ ... European Commission spokesman Dan Ferrie said the Protocol was about “protecting the gains of the peace process, protecting and maintaining stability, avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland...
4/ ...and, importantly, minimising the impact of Brexit on the everyday lives of communities North and South of the border.”
5/ Ferrie referred to the joint statement by the co-chairs of the EU UK Joint Committee, Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic and UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, on February 11...
6/ ...in which they committed to “spare no effort” to implement the flexibilities agreed by both sides on how the Protocol should apply in Northern Ireland on December 17.
7/ He also referred to round table meetings Mr Sefcovic held last week with Northern Ireland business groups and civil society, “all of which showed quite constructive, solution-driven discussions and outcomes.”
8/ Mr Ferrie added a “constructive” and “solutions driven” attitude would be brought to a meeting of the technical level EU UK Specialised Committee tomorrow, and the Joint Committee on Wednesday.
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NEW: update on the earlier thread on @MarosSefcovic's comments on the NI Protocol...
2/ Following today's Specialised Committee mtg, which prepares the groundwork for tomorrow's more political Joint Committee (@michaelgove + Sefcovic), the message is that if the EU is to agree any extensions to grace periods they must be a bridge to a permanent settled state
3/ And any extensions will only be considered if the UK is showing it is implementing the Dec 17 Gove-Sefcovic deal on the Protocol (ie, granting access to databases etc)
.@MarosSefcovic [on the NI Protocol]: there are "consequences" of the UK leaving the EU and becoming a third country. This is very well reflected in the Protocol and in the TCA.
2/ "The EU will always remain constructive and solution driven, but I've also reminded my British partners that this must be a two way street. We've had a very intense session in Dec to make sure entry points [ie BCPs] would be up and ready by the middle of this year...
3/ "...that we would have real time access to the IT customs systems which would smooth further customs formalities, that we would more information on how the trusted trader scheme is working for GB distributors to make sure supermkts in NI are properly supplied."
Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs @simoncoveney has said there could be freer flowing trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Protocol if the UK agreed to align more closely to EU food safety and animal and plant health standards.
2/ A vetinary agreement between both sides, or some form of “equivalence” arrangement, could lower trade barriers in areas where the UK is demanding flexibility from the European Commission, such as seed potatoes, seeds, potted plants, and pets, he said.
3/ Speaking following a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, Mr Coveney said: “In some of those cases the UK government has the capacity to facilitate that change if they want to agree to a different approach when it comes to equivalence of standards, for example.
The Chair of the European Parliament's UK Coordination Group @davidmcallister has said there will be no “thorough review” of the NI Protocol, nor any amendments to it.
2/ However, he said there should be "flexible" and "pragmatic" solutions found, so long as they were in line with the principles at the heart of the Protocol.
3/ These principles were “to avoid a hard border between the Republic and NI, to enable the true functioning of the all-island economy and safeguarding the GFAin all its dimensions, and to ensure the integrity of our single market for goods..."
After a frank but constructive discussion, and taking into account the views expressed on 3 February by the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, the two co-chairs agreed to:
2/ reiterate their full commitment to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, and to the proper implementation of the Protocol – protecting the gains of the peace process, maintaining stability, avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and impacting as little as possible...
3/ ...on the everyday life of communities in both Ireland and Northern Ireland
•spare no effort to implement solutions mutually agreed on 17 December, as they form a foundation for our cooperation
BREAKING: European Commission Maros Sefcovic has told @michaelgove that sweeping changes to the Protocol will not be possible, and that any flexibilities require the UK for its part to implement the terms of last December's NI Protocol
2/ In a letter responding to last week's letter from Gove @MarosSefcovic sets out a list of areas where he says the UK is not in compliance with the NI Protocol.s
3/ He says Border Control Posts at NI Ports are "not yet fully operational", official controls at the Posts are "not performed in compliance with the Withdrawal Agreement" and that there are "very few identity checks"