What can we expect from Maros Sefcovic visit tomorrow? Here to ‘listen to everybody’ says a senior EU official & wants to hear about the practical problems of operating the Protocol. But…
…also here to ‘manage expectations’ that the fundamental renegotiation that the UK & unionists want is not on offer.
We may hear a bit about what is possible on agrifood. There has been stalemate between UK&EU on Switzerland vs New Zealand +. But EU official suggests a bespoke arrangement for NI could be in the mix.
Not clear what the content of that would be but NI biz have been pushing an SPS trusted trade scheme for a very long time.
EU’s main nervousness about this is that UK ‘Cakism’ would mean they would want to transpose any GB-NI arrangement to GB-EU.
So clearly more talking to come ‘for as long as it’s constructive.’ But a growing EU concern that UK framing is around sovereignty rather than what the practical issues. The Frost Oxford speech has been closely read.
Also tomorrow the DUP leader is due to make a speech in which he will set out what Protocol reform/ replacement should look like.
Sefcovic not expecting to hear business people talking much about the ECJ but Jeffrey Donaldson will.
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