Frost back in Brussels for N Ireland talks
LORD Frost was standing firm last night to protect Northern Ireland’s place within the UK.
He met his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in Brussels in a bid to end the row over border checks and defuse tensions.
Over dinner, the pair talked about how to implement the post-Brexit border deal without risking future violent flare-ups and disruption.
Sources on both sides say they want to calm the situation after rioting broke out over the long Easter weekend.
The Northern Ireland Protocol has been blamed as Unionists believe it undermines their place in the UK.
Both sides have been locked in intensive talks for several weeks over possible solutions to reduce customs checks on goods being shipped to the region from mainland Britain.
Lord Frost and Mr Sefcovic’s intervention is hoped to inject “political steer” into future wrangling over plans to avoid a hard border. The pair also discussed the EU’s ongoing legal action against Downing Street for breaching the terms of the protocol.
Brussels threatened to sue the UK over its move to defy EU red tape. No 10 announced it would temporarily suspend EU-ordered checks between mainland Britain and the region until October.
Lord Frost argued it was lawful, in good faith and to stop supermarket shelves running bare. The European Commission has agreed to give the UK more time to respond.
Downing Street said: “The meeting is part of an ongoing process with the EU to resolve outstanding differences on the Northern Ireland Protocol.”
An EC spokesman added that it was “part of intense efforts to find joint solutions to the implementation of the protocol”.
The bloc is insisting on its full implementation, including NI-GB trade checks.