PROGRESS ON THE NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL
On January 9, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič met with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, along with NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris in London to discuss the progress made in addressing the issues raised by Northern Ireland's companies and communities.
They emphasized their shared commitment to safeguarding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the integrity of the EU Single Market and the UK Internal Market. They acknowledged that while a number of pressing issues remain to be resolved, progress was made regarding the specific issue of EU access to UK IT systems. They stated that this progress serves as a foundation for further EU-UK conversations and will help to establish confidence and offer certainty.
The UK Foreign Secretary, the NI Secretary, and Vice President reviewed the progress on January 16, and agreed that scoping work for potential solutions should continue in a constructive and collaborative spirit, taking careful account of each other’s legitimate interests.
Source: Gov.uk