The European Commission’s president stated she has had “encouraging” conferences with Rishi Sunak over the Northern Ireland Protocol and is “very confident” an answer may be discovered.
But Ursula von der Leyen, arriving in Dublin for a two-day go to on Thursday, additionally stated the results of Brexit can’t be fully eliminated.
Westminster and Brussels proceed to barter over the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was launched after Brexit to keep away from a tough border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
However, it has successfully positioned a border within the Irish Sea as Northern Ireland has to stay to some EU import/export guidelines, whereas items transferring from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are topic to a tariff if they’re “at risk” of being moved into the EU afterward.
Read extra: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
A invoice was launched in Westminster to unilaterally take away a few of these buying and selling guidelines however that has triggered friction and the EU has threatened the UK with authorized motion for doing so.
However, Ms von der Leyen advised to the Irish parliament on Thursday EU-UK relations beneath Mr Sunak had improved in contrast along with his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
She stated talks with London on Thursday have been marked by a “new, more pragmatic spirit because the European Union and the United Kingdom are still members of the same extended family, even if we no longer live in the same house”.
“My contacts (with) Prime Minister Sunak are encouraging and I trust we can find the way,” she stated.
“If there is the political will in the UK, I am very confident that we can reach a positive conclusion.”
Read extra: Sunak and von der Leyen promise to ‘work collectively’ to unravel NI Protocol row
The Commission president promised that at any time when the EU sits down “with our British friends” it’s going to accomplish that with “‘an honest heart and an open mind’ – to quote the great Irish band The Saw Doctors”.
She stated she believes making use of frequent sense and a concentrate on points “that really matter in Northern Ireland” will imply progress may be made in resolving the sensible points Northern Ireland is experiencing.
And she stated the EU was “listening closely” to Northern Ireland companies and civil society.
“But the consequences of Brexit and the kind of Brexit chosen by the UK cannot be removed entirely,” Ms von der Leyen warned.
“The solutions we find must ensure that the single market continues to function in Ireland and elsewhere in the European Union.
“I feel if each side are delicate to this cautious stability, a workable answer is inside attain. I consider we’ve got an obligation to seek out it.
“Let me reassure you, Ireland can always count on the European Union to stand by the Good Friday Agreement.
“There may be no laborious border on the island of Ireland.”
Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney added that he believes a “answer is inside our grasp”.
Source: information.sky.com”