Brexit: UK and EU not ‘worlds apart’ on protocol, Sefcovic says

The vice-president of the European Commission has said he does not believe the UK and EU are “worlds apart” on the Northern Ireland protocol – and urged the British government to “abandon” a Bill that would scrap parts of the post-Brexit trade deal.

Maros Sefcovic told a group of UK and European parliamentarians on Monday that “where there’s a will, there’s a way” to find solutions to the “outstanding issues” around the implementation of the protocol, and break the North’s political deadlock.

Addressing a Westminster plenary session, he said he wanted to ensure the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland was “as seamless as possible” with “almost all checks and controls effectively invisible”.

“Is it too much to do this? Can we not find pragmatic, technical solutions to make this thing work?” he asked.

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“I believe it could be done, if there is political will. I’m sure that we can sort it out really within a couple of weeks because really both sides of our negotiating teams, we know these topics from all angles.”

On Monday, the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for the first time at the Cop27 climate conference in Egypt, where they agreed to “work together” to resolve the row over the protocol.

Mr Sunak stressed the need to “find solutions” to the “very real problems” caused by the post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Powersharing executive

Northern Ireland has had no functioning government since May as the DUP refuses to enter Stormont’s powersharing executive until its concerns about the protocol are dealt with.

The UK government’s controversial protocol Bill – which would give ministers powers to override parts of the EU-UK post-Brexit deal – is currently before the House of Lords for scrutiny, having passed through the final stage in the House of Commons in July despite attempts by the SDLP, Alliance and Labour MPs to dilute it.

During his address to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly on Monday, Mr Sefcovic warned of “serious consequences” if the Bill was enacted into law.

He described a spirit of “partnership and trust” between the UK and EU in negotiating the withdrawal agreement, adding it was “most evident” this spirit was needed now.

Noting the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement next year, he also said he would do his “utmost” to “exploit” it and make “the next 25 years about peace and prosperity”.

He added: “This is surely the moment to abandon recourse to unilateral action, such as the Northern Ireland protocol Bill.

“If this Bill were to become law, the UK government would put Northern Ireland’s unique access to the EU market of 450 million consumers at risk.

“Is the UK government truly prepared to deprive Northern Ireland of this opportunity?

‘Meaningful discussions’

“On top of it, unilaterally disapplying core parts of the protocol would also have serious consequences for our trade relationship under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.”

Talks between the UK and EU resumed in late September and Mr Sefcovic praised British foreign secretary James Cleverly for his role in the latest negotiations.

“This is important as the UK had not engaged in any meaningful discussions with us since February,” he said.

“I believe that our respective positions are not worlds apart if we genuinely explore the EU’s robust proposals, aimed at simplifying and facilitating trade between east and west, while ensuring no hard border between North and South on the island of Ireland.”

DUP and Sinn Féin Stormont Assembly representatives were among those who attended the plenary session in London along with Welsh and Scottish counterparts.

Speaking ahead of the two-day meeting, Sinn Féin’s Declan Kearney said there was “no credible alternative” to the protocol and called on the British government to resume urgent talks with Brussels to find a “pragmatic way forward and a durable agreement”.

But the DUP’s Phillip Brett reiterated his party’s opposition, saying the deal “harms Northern Ireland both economically and constitutionally”.

“There will not be a solid foundation for the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly until the protocol is replaced with provisions that restore our place in the United Kingdom’s internal market and our constitutional arrangements are respected.”