“The EU is working seriously to resolve practical issues with the implementation of the Protocol.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that UK demands on Northern Ireland Protocol are a “red line barrier to progress”.
The UK said on Sunday that it wants the European Court of Justice (ECJ) removed from the Protocol – however, Coveney has warned that the further demands could result in a “breakdown in relations” with the EU.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday he said: “EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with the implementation of Protocol – so UKG creates a new “red line” barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on…. are we surprised?”
“Does UKG actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?”, he continued.
EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with implementation of Protocol – so UKG creates a new “red line” barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on…. are we surprised?
Real Q: Does UKG actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations? https://t.co/4MhgEdlxAf— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) October 9, 2021
The UK’s Brexit Minister, David Frost, responded to Coveney on Twitter saying that he would prefer “not to do negotiations by Twitter”.
He added that “the issue of governance and the ECJ is not new”.
“We set out our concerns three months ago in our 21 July Command Paper. The problem is that too few people seem to have listened,” he continued.
It comes as the EU is set to bring forward proposals on Wednesday to reform the protocol.
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