The promise of “white smoke” and a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol on Monday proved to be another misjudgment.
London and the EU had already reached an agreement on access to trade data last week. A settlement of the disputes over the movement of goods between the two sides therefore seemed within reach. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič held talks yesterday. However, the expected agreement did not come about.
Instead, both sides said in a statement that “exploratory work” on possible solutions should continue in a “constructive and cooperative spirit.” They also stressed the “need to find solutions together to comprehensively address the real concerns of all communities in Northern Ireland and to protect both Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s internal market and the integrity of the EU’s internal market.”
There has been movement in recent weeks, with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar calling the terms of the protocol “too strict”. The EU then relented, accepting that goods remaining in Northern Ireland should be treated less severely. The UK, in turn, has indicated it will drop its controversial law governing the Protocol.
