EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Maroš Šefčovič tells Stormont’s NI Exec office committee that there will be a solution to the ban on chilled meat coming from GB ➡️ NI (the “sausage wars” issue) in the next 48hrs 🌭 On medicines, Maroš Šefčovič says EU wants to ensure NI citizens have "full access" to medicines they need, but "won't be easy" as would require a change in EU rules, but committed to do this if it requires legislative change on the EU side 💊

🚢 Big update on the Irish Sea Border today at the Lords committee looking at the NI protocol.

Things have improved since Jan, but still real challenges remain when moving goods GB ➡️ NI, & impact on NI consumers & businesses.

Some headlines for #IrishSeaBorder watchers.../1 🚛 🚛 There’s been lots of work to improve the system for sending food GB ➡️ NI.

But it’s still hugely time consuming - “There’s usually two members of staff working on just one lorry load…food is moving but it’s taking a huge effort from logistics providers" says @Freight_NI /2

The Loyalist Communities Council which represents loyalist paramilitary groups, is giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee today on the NI protocol, the recent rioting, and loyalist views on the Brexit arrangements..

Some lively discussions.../1 Chair @Simon4NDorset asks what's the difference between 'Unionist' and 'Loyalist'?

LCC's David Campbell says Loyalism largely represents working class unionists, others would perhaps deem loyalism to be unionists who have engaged more actively and not just politically. /2

To investigate the contentious new Irish Sea Border, @DeeMcIlveen and I decided it was time to stop standing outside Belfast Port doing endless pieces to camera and actually do the journey ourselves. Here’s what we found. THREAD (no5 is quite funny) 🚛 3 months in, GB firms still aren’t fully up to speed with the new processes to send goods to Northern Ireland.

If it’s not done right, goods end up sitting on a warehouse floor like this, unable to be loaded. At @fortec_uk they’re still helping companies figure it out 🚛 /1