Brexit: Lord Frost warns ‘time is short’ to resolve Northern Ireland issues
Brexit minister Lord Frost has warned that “time is short” to resolve disagreements with the EU ahead of a key crisis meeting between the two sides tomorrow.
Tensions escalated today after the bloc threatened to start a trade war with the UK if high-level talks failed to resolve a dispute over border checks in the Irish Sea.
The UK is unilaterally planning to extend a grace period to allow Northern Irish shops to continue selling chilled meats, including sausages and mince, from Britain once it expires at the end of this month.
But European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic said the EU would “not be shy” in taking action to ensure that the UK abides by its international commitments
Frost today hit back at the threat, saying: “Further threats of legal action and trade retaliation from the EU won’t make life any easier for the shopper in Strabane who can’t buy their favourite product. Nor will it benefit the small business in Ballymena struggling to source produce from their supplier in Birmingham.”
He added: “What is needed is pragmatism and common sense solutions to resolve the issues as they are before us.”
Historic meeting
The comments came ahead of a meeting of the partnership council and withdrawal agreement joint committee at Admiralty House in London tomorrow.
It is the first meeting of the council, which supervises the operation of the Brexit deal at a political level.
The meeting will cover issues including fish, farming, customs and trade facilitation and law enforcement, as well as a discussion on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“When I meet Maros Sefcovic later today my message will be clear: time is short and practical solutions are needed now to make the Protocol work,” Frost said.
“It is only by making substantial progress across the whole range of difficulties that we can show people in Northern Ireland that the Protocol can work in a pragmatic, proportionate and sustainable way – as was always intended.”
It comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden will use this week’s G7 summit to impress upon Johnson the importance that he attaches to maintaining the protocol.
Ahead of the gathering in Cornwall, Johnson also discussed the issue in a telephone call on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Downing Street said that the Prime Minister stressed that “both the UK and the EU have a responsibility to find solutions to address the issues with the protocol”.