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Michael Gove will meet with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, in Brussels to reach an agreement that minimizes controls on products and food entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
But sources say the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol is unlikely to be delayed despite strong demands from local business and agricultural leaders.
There is “little room” for phasing in the protocol, a source said, but progress has been good on agreeing easements that could minimize the impact of the controls.
Before his meeting with Gove on Monday, Šefčovič said that the joint UK-EU committee, which was established to implement the January withdrawal agreement and Northern Ireland protocol, was “working hard to make sure it is fully operation as of January 1, 2021 “.
Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺
(@MarosSefcovic)🇪🇺🇬🇧 I will meet @michaelgove today in Brussels to discuss the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. We are working hard to make sure it is fully operational as of January 1, 2021.
Although a separate line from trade negotiations, issues about the movement of food from Britain to Northern Ireland were drawn into Brexit discussions in September with Boris Johnson claiming that the EU was threatening a “blockade” of food at sea. from Ireland.
He used this to justify the introduction of the controversial Brexit clauses in the domestic market bill that would give the government unilateral powers not to apply the withdrawal agreement.
Theresa May’s European adviser, Raoul Ruparel, said the incendiary clauses were put in place to generate influence in trade talks, designed to show the EU the negative consequences of a no-deal scenario.
Last week it emerged that four in 10 food producers in Britain were planning to stop or reduce the supply of produce to Northern Ireland due to controls that followed similar warnings from Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer supermarkets.
The joint committee remains one of the most opaque elements of the Brexit deal with little information made public about its operation or the content of the meetings.
Monday’s meeting was made public only at 8 a.m. M., With an announcement from the UK government saying: “The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will meet Vice President Šefčovič in Brussels today to discuss issues related to their work as co-chairs of the joint committee of the withdrawal agreement. “
The UK government is reportedly willing to remove the Brexit clauses from part 5 of the Internal Market Bill, which has already been rejected in the House of Lords if solutions are found “long-term and legally strong “to minimize trade controls across the country. Sea of ireland.
Sources told RTE Europe editor Tony Connelly that “the clauses would be removed as part of a virtuous sequence of events, beginning with the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement, followed by a quickly announced meeting of the EU joint committee. -United Kingdom, which has been negotiating the most difficult aspects of the implementation of the protocol ”.
The bill returns to the House of Commons today with the controversial clauses that are expected to remain in effect unless there is a trade agreement.
A second piece of legislation, the tax bill formerly known as the finance bill, will go to a vote on Wednesday and is also expected to include clauses with implications for the Northern Ireland protocol.
Both bills would violate the international Brexit treaty signed by the UK and the EU in January.
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