EU official: Joint Committee likely to be the most difficult of the two mtgs this week. 2 issues: 1/ citizens rights, deadline for residents applications end of June 2/ Protocol on IE/NI
“No doubt protocol biggest issue this week. To avoid a hard border & gains of peace process EU & U.K. need to work jointly and in good faith”
Only joint solutions, as agreed by EU & UK will bring about benefits of Protocol
We know the UK wants flexibilities, we’re looking forward those, but UK needs to implement solutions agreed in December. How do we trust the UK?
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NEW: The EU is growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospects of a breakthrough on how the Northern Ireland Protocol is implemented, with senior officials and diplomats warning that the UK appears determined to undermine it.
2/ Senior figures have told @rtenews that a mtg of the EU-UK Joint Cttee next week will be more a showdown over the UK’s continued sniping against the Protocol, and ongoing unilateral moves to delay its implementation, rather than a breakthrough that might end months of tension.
3/ It had previously been hoped that both sides might agree on a combination of flexibilities and a roadmap to full implementation of the Protocol at next week’s meeting.
1/ The EU and UK are making progress on key aspects of the NI Protocol, with signs that an agreement on the medicines issue could be found soon, @rtenews understands
2/ However, Brussels has registered its concerns with the UK for its constant criticisms of the EU’s approach to the Protocol, which, diplomats say, are then echoed by unionist parties in Northern Ireland.
Remarks by @vonderleyen on the Northern Ireland Protocol following last night's European Council in Brussels:
2/ "There should be no doubt that there is no alternative to the full and correct implementation of the Protocol.
3/ "And I think it is important to reiterate that the Protocol is the only possible solution to ensure peace and stability in Northern Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the European Union Single Market.
NEW: Ryanair flight 4978 sent 20 departure delay messages while it was on the ground in Minsk indicating that it was “not ready or allowed” to leave the Belarusian capital after it was forced into an emergency landing on Sunday...
2/ This is according to an internal report by the European air traffic management organisation, EUROCONTROL, seen by @rtenews
3/ The report by @eurocontrol shows that the Boeing 737-800, en route from Athens to Vilnius, was forced to land in Minsk at 10.30am UTC and was not able to depart until 18.26pm on Sunday evening.
Here is how post-Brexit relations with the UK will be approached by EU leaders during their two day summit in Brussels next week:
2/ President @EmmanuelMacron asked for EU-UK relations to be put on the agenda because of French complaints over fishing licences and the Jersey flare up; leaders agreed, partly as it was the first time the European Council will have addressed relations since the TCA was ratified
3/ However, there is growing concern that the UK is attempting to bilateralise relations with individual member states, so EU leaders will put out a strong message of maintaining unity and protecting the integrity of the single market
The EU has put off a decision to exempt vaccinated UK travellers from travel restrictions into the EU due to concerns about the prevalence of the Indian Covid variant, sources have said.
2/ EU ambassadors were due this morning to put Japan and the UK on a list of countries which would face the minimum of restrictions. The decision has been deferred until next week.
3/ However, it's understood that last night France raised "serious concerns" about the spread of the Indian variant in the north of England.