Thread by @tconnellyRTE

Quick thread on today’s Joint Committee: view in Brussels is that it was not as bad as it could have been, but the situation remains grim...

2/ Positive elements: it didn’t turn into a fully fledged confrontation and both sides will continue working and talking; both sides agreed for the need to lower the political temperature; at not point did @DavidGHFrost say the UK wd give up on the Protocol or trigger Article 16

3/ However, I understand the UK refused to agree to a joint statement, due in part to an objection to language that both sides were fully committed to implementing the NI Protocol (checking this with UK side)

4/ The tone of the meeting was set the night before during a Frost-Sefcovic dinner ie, expectations were low

5/ At the meeting today Frost set out a very detailed picture of UK companies no longer shipping goods to NI, pharma companies threatening not to supply NI, Northern firms saying they can’t get goods from GB etc

6/ Also, Frost spelt out all the things the UK were doing to implement the Protocol, including detail on the UK Trader Support and Digital Assistance Schemes. Acc to one source, presenting the UK as both virtuous and the victim

7/ For his part @MarosSefcovic spelt out all the flexibilities the EU has been working on, with little cooperation in return: ie, the UK still not providing real-time database access, traceability and trusted trader data, labelling, simplified export health certificates etc

8/ In general, Sefcovic complained that because of the failure of the UK to meet commitments on databases is etc, the EU cannot see what’s happening on the ground, and cannot assess Frost’s complaints

9/ Sefcovic suggested the UK was at a crossroads: it could work constructively with the EU to find solutions, avoid any more unilateral actions, or it could continue on a confrontational path, at which point the EU wd have no choice but to consider arbitration / cross retaliation

10/ Frost shot back that during the entire Brexit process the EU had made threats against the UK and that the UK had not given in to them, and wouldn’t start now

11/ The meeting ended on what was described as a low key, but “not negative” note that both sides would keep working

12/ Overall, the UK is probably satisfied that it got away with reprimands and threats of further legal/arbitration action, but knowing it can spin things out with unilateral actions...

13/ View in Brussels is that the UK will extend the grace period on chilled meats unilaterally (Frost, it’s understood, refused to say categorically that he wouldn’t)

14/ EU side made an equally strong point that the UK strategy was not sustainable. Worry on the EU side is that the UK is trying to push the EU into a corner to take retaliatory action if continued bad faith, and London can then say Brussels is punishing ordinary people in NI

ENDS