‘Limited’ progress in talks with EU but gap is ‘bridgeable’

Downing Street has insisted that disagreements between the UK and the European Union could still be bridged through "further intensive discussions" despite the EU condemning the lack of compromise as "disappointing".

No 10 said "limited" progress had been made in talks between Brexit minister Lord Frost and European Commission vicepresident, Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels yesterday.

Mr Sefcovic said he had been disappointed in the UK'S unwillingness to compromise.

Aukgovernmentspokesman said Lord Frost had said "the EU'S proposals did notcurrentlydealeffectively with the fundamental difficulties in the way the protocol was operating".

But the spokesman said: "He added that, in the UK view, these gaps could still be bridged. He underlined that the UK'S preference was still to find a consensual solution that protected the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland."

However, Mr Sefcovic said the EU'S proposals for altering the protocol had been a "big move from us".

However he added: "We have seen no move at all from the UK side. I found this disappointing and once again, I urge the UK government to engage with us sincerely."

To avoid a hard border with Ireland, the protocol effectively keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU'S single market for goods, resulting in some checks for products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain, which left the single market.

Lord Frost said he would not immediately trigger Article 16, which would allow parts of the deal to be suspended, but said it was "very much on the table”.