The UK and the EU keep their positions in Northern Ireland apart

LONDON, Dec 10 (EFE) .- After a new round of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) on possible amendments to Northern Ireland’s controversial protocol, the dialogue remains stuck on various “difficult issues”, described today by Britain’s chief negotiator, David Frost. .

Frost met today via videoconference with the Executive Vice President of the European Committee for Institutional Relations, Maros Sefkovic, and after several days of contacts between his technical teams.

Over the past week, “limited progress” has been made on possible solutions to facilitate the entry of some medicines into Northern Ireland, but the “movement” is lacking on as many difficult points as the British negotiator described on Twitter.

Disagreement is maintained in aspects such as “agri-food customs and regulations, subsidy policies, taxation and governance, including (the role) of the European Union court,” he explained.

Frost said two new meetings with Šefčovič are scheduled next week with the aim of “making progress” and finding “agreed solutions” before Christmas.

The UK wants to renegotiate parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol that entered into force last January, arguing that it creates too much friction in the British region.

In the event that no agreement is reached in this regard with the European Union, it has so advanced that it will use the mechanism provided for unilateral suspension of provisions it deems inappropriate. EFE

GX / PSH

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