Lord Frost: There are ‘significant gaps’ ahead of talks over UK-EU disputes

Friday, 5 November 2021 07:54

By PA news

Brexit Minister Lord Frost said a “significant gap” remained as he headed into talks with one of Brussels’ top officials amid efforts to resolve disputes over Northern Ireland and fishing rights.

Lord Frost’s meeting with the European Commission vice-president, Maros Sefcovic, comes as the UK and European Union are still at loggerheads over the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Lord Frost said: “The gap between us is still quite significant but let’s see where we can get to.”

To avoid a hard border with Ireland, the protocol effectively keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods, resulting in some checks for products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain, which left the single market.

Lord Frost said he would not immediately trigger Article 16, which would allow parts of the deal to be suspended.

He said: “We’re not going to trigger Article 16 today, but Article 16 is very much on the table and has been since July.

“If we can reach an agreement on the protocol that provides a sustainable solution, then that’s the best way forward.”

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic who is meeting Lord Frost in Brussels

Lord Frost has previously claimed the conditions for using the mechanism have been met because of the difficulties being caused.

No 10 added there is no set timescale on how long talks with the EU can continue.

Senior EU figures are hopeful that the use of Article 16 of the protocol can be avoided.

Lord Frost declined to say how long the negotiations would continue.

“I’m not going to give any timescales or any hypotheticals, we are trying to reach agreement and we’re working very hard and we’re going to carry on trying.”

The Brexit minister has previously said he expects the issues around the protocol to be settled “one way or another” this autumn.

The UK also wants an end to the European Court of Justice’s oversight role, something that Brussels has said is impossible.

The European Commission executive vice-president, Frans Timmermans, told ITV’s Peston that Brussels was “bending over backwards” to reach an agreement with the UK.