Paris and Berlin at odds with EU over protocol proposal

FRANCE and Germany fear the EU’S proposal to break the deadlock over the Northern Ireland Protocol could jeopardise the single market because it allows customs controls to be dramatically reduced.

Their concerns could eventually tie the hands of Maros Sefcovic, the EU’S Brexit negotiator, and limit his ability to compromise in the negotiations that begin today in Brussels.

Paris and Berlin are at the head of a group calling for plans to prepare counter-measures should talks fail and Britain trigger Article 16, unilaterally suspending the protocol, which would leave another opening in the EU internal market. It is understood the two countries have not ruled out demanding legal action and, potentially, the imposition of trade tariffs.

Their fears emerged before the opening round of talks between Mr Sefcovic and Lord Frost about the implementation of the post-brexit border arrangements that tie Northern Ireland to almost 300 EU rules in order to prevent a hard border.

Mr Sefcovic, the European Commission vice-president, has unveiled plans to scrap the majority of checks on British goods crossing into the province under a revised protocol.

He offered to reduce checks on food and plant products by up to 80 per cent and customs paperwork by half and tweak the bloc’s rules to protect supplies of British-sourced medicines.

European sources said while member states overwhelmingly back the compromise, that could change if a deal isn’t reached quickly.

It is understood Emmanuel Macron is poised to squash further concessions as he does not want to be seen to go soft on the UK so close to April’s presidential elections, prompting warnings that Britain needs to clinch an agreement soon.

An EU diplomat said: “This is the time to do a deal. The closer we get to the French elections, the harder it will be for the Commission to offer compromises.”

A number of internal issues across the bloc, such as soaring energy prices and the threat of “Polexit”, mean there is little appetite to consider further British demands over Brexit arrangements.

A second diplomat said: “Brexit is a nuisance. Nobody wants to talk about Brexit. Nobody has the time and space to consider it. Britain has won the boredom war. It has shown it has capacity to endure more boredom than Brussels, which is no mean feat.”

A lack of willingness to engage in Brexit has enabled the Commission to table the package of concessions, which government sources believe went further than was expected of the bloc.

Despite the UK rowing back from threats to trigger Article 16 to create space for negotiations, EU diplomats insisted they were ready to respond to any attempts to blow up the Brexit deal.

A source said: “It’s important that London doesn’t underestimate the EU’S resolve to react quickly and effectively to such a move.”