George Eustice calls on the EU to remove the ‘absurd’ ban on sausages
Mairead McGuinness said that trust between the EU and the UK must be rebuilt, adding that the only way to find a solution to the problems is if both sides are willing to work together. The European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets, made her remarks at a virtual event of the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce.
She said: “We want the protocol to be fully implemented and we are and have been willing to find solutions to the practical problems that exist.
But we don’t like unilateral action and that’s putting it mildly.
“Once the UK took unilateral action, the question just arises how are we going to build a relationship and trust needs to be restored.”
He also referred to the UK’s request to extend the grace period for chilled meat to be allowed into Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
Brexit sausage war – EU has said protocol must be fully implemented (Image: GETTY)
The EU commissioner said both sides should work together (Image: GETTY)
Supporting the move, he said he hoped the overtime could offer some “calm” in the tense standoff between London and Brussels.
Last week, the UK government submitted a request to Brussels requesting an additional three months for a post-Brexit grace period before a ban on sausage exports to Northern Ireland is put in place.
Brexit Minister Lord Frost’s attempt to push back the June 30 deadline was aimed at buying more time to resolve the so-called ‘sausage war’ with the bloc.
Under the Brexit deal, the province remained part of the EU’s single market for goods.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson ‘acknowledges the disaster he has made’ with protocol
The EU’s Mairead McGuinness said trust must be disproved (Image: GETTY)
EU food safety rules allow only frozen meats to enter the single market, which means that refrigerated meat, such as sausages and minced meat, is prohibited.
Since the delay request was made, Brussels has signaled that it is ready to back off from a looming trade war and give the UK more time.
And Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he would “urge” the EU to “respond generously” to the UK’s request.
Ms McGuinness said: “For my part, I welcome this because I think it is an opportunity for a bit of calm and maybe common sense to prevail where we know there are problems to be solved.”
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Boris Johnson disagrees with the EU on the protocol (Image: GETTY)
Maros Sefcovic, Vice President of the European Commission (Image: GETTY)
The request has fueled hope that both parties can reach a compromise in their dispute over the protocol.
Ms McGuinness went on to emphasize that the precarious situation between the UK and the EU could not be resolved unless both sides talk to each other, saying that if they do so ‘we can rebuild trust’.
She accused ministers of ignoring the protocol after it was signed, saying it was “put on a shelf in the UK by the government”.
The Northern Ireland Protocol remains a thorn in the Prime Minister’s side as he tries to build Britain’s post-Brexit path into the future.
Five key moments of Brexit (Image: EXPRESS)
Last week Maros Sefcovic, vice president of the European Commission, said Britain should show “unwavering commitment” to the treaty’s implementation, rather than “continually questioning it.”
The protocol, which is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, means that goods heading from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must undergo checks.
Unionists fear that this trade border in the Irish Sea will effectively cut them off from the rest of the UK and call for scrapping protocol.
In a speech to the College of Europe, Mr Sefcovic said: ‘I am pleased that the UK is recognizing the value of this approach on one of the outstanding issues, the supply of chilled meats from Great Britain to Northern Ireland because it What really embodies the protocol is trust.
Lord Frost has requested an extension of the grace period (Image: GETTY)
Yesterday, Leo Varadkar said that the Irish government is ready to “go the extra mile” to find solutions to the protocol’s problems.
But the Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) ruled out abandoning it altogether, saying that all “realistic alternatives” have been rejected by trade unionism.
Varadkar said he is willing to compromise with the next DUP leader to find solutions, but criticized the party’s unwillingness to compromise.
He said: ‘We are ready to engage through the European Union, with the British Government, in consultation with all parties in Northern Ireland.
“We are willing to go the extra mile to provide whatever practical solutions we can within the terms of the agreement.”
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