Frost is too combative, EU says
LORD FROST must drop his confrontational style of negotiating if Britain and the EU are to rebuild their strained relationship, Brussels sources have warned.
The Government strongly rejected the rebuke, insisting that Lord Frost was “the best person” to reset UK-EU relations.
Lord Frost, who negotiated the Brexit trade deal with the EU last year, will oversee talks over the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol from Monday after being promoted to a minister in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet.
During the trade talks, he ruffled feathers in Brussels with his uncompro- mising insistence on the EU respecting the UK as a “sovereign equal”.
An EU diplomat told The Daily Telegraph: “The EU and UK relationship is in dire need of more consensus. Unfortunately Lord Frost is, so far, better known for confrontation.
“Putting the relationship on ice is not an option. Britain and the continent are too close, too interlinked and there’s too much going on affecting both sides of the English Channel.”
A UK government source said: “Based on evidence so far this year, the EU’S efforts can hardly be described as having promoted harmony.”
Moves by the European Commision towards a Covid vaccine export ban, and its short-lived threat to impose a hard border on the island of Ireland to enforce it, were “concerning”, the source said. “We are working at pace to ensure a friendly and productive relationship. The best person to lead that effort is Lord Frost.”
The EU warning came after reports that senior figures in Brussels hoped to “reset” the relationship with Britain.
Relations have been further strained by rows over the implementation of new customs arrangements in Northern Ireland and the status of the EU’S ambassador to the UK.
An EU official said: “We know Lord Frost and I’m sure we will be more than capable of working with him and finding solutions.”
Recent meetings between the two sides over the protocol have failed to find agreement on the extension of various grace periods, for example to ensure continued supermarket supplies to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
The EU is due to ratify the trade deal, which has been provisionally applied, in April. This would be a good moment to draw a line under past disagreements, especially if the grace periods on the protocol can be agreed in time.
The EU official said: “This would be a nice thing to happen but we are not holding our breath. The timeline sounds about right. I’m not so sure if a ‘reset’ is possible, but I think it’s admirable that we’re at least trying.”
A UK government spokeswoman said that the trade deal “will build on our shared history of friendship and cooperation, but as sovereign equals, with greater democratic autonomy and a clear, independent voice to speak and act on our priorities.”
Britain and the EU were said to be nearing an agreement on a memorandum of understanding on financial services yesterday, which could be a small step to securing access to the Single Market for some UK companies.
The move comes as Joe Biden’s nominee to become US trade representative has appeared to rule out a quick trade agreement with Britain.
Appearing at a Senate confirmation hearing, Katherine Tai, said she would need to review discussions and negotiations that had taken place under her predecessor.