SAUSAGES WAR: IT’S A TREUCE

Agreement may end meat row

A TRUCE in the Brexit “sausage wars” could be declared within 24 hours.

The EU has hinted it will grant the UK’S request to extend by three months a “grace period” on checks on processed meat coming into Northern Ireland from the rest of Britain.

Suggesting Brussels will back down further, European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said the EU was ready to cut Irish Sea border checks to an “absolute minimum”. He added: “We are willing to consider taking bold steps if the UK Government demonstrates a clear and concrete commitment to implementing the protocol in full.”

Brussels will also address concerns of Unionists, who have called for the Northern Ireland protocol to be scrapped.

Under the agreement, the province effectively remains in the EU single market so controls are needed on incoming products, including sausage meat, to ensure compliance with European rules.

The EU accuses the UK of not carrying out checks it agreed to. But the UK says Brussels’ “inflexible” view of the rules undermines the peace process.

The PM’S spokesman said yesterday: “We expect to agree an extension to the chilled meat grace period soon, on terms acceptable to the UK.”

The farcical sausage war that’s been playing out between the UK and the EU appears to be over.

Finally it looks like our European counterparts have lost the chipolata on their shoulders and a deal is imminent.

You would suspect this isn’t the last silly little squabble we’ll get into as the effects of Brexit are felt.

And let’s hope what happened at Wembley last night doesn’t sour things.

But really it shouldn’t have to come to this.

We’ve got more Toulouse from being enemies than friends.