UK may agree with EU on Northern Ireland Protocol

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UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and her Irish counterpart, Micheal Martin, according to a Sunday report by Irish broadcaster RTE, think that the European Union and the United Kingdom may come to an agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol, signed as part of the Brexit agreement on customs borders.

Truss and Martin reportedly met on Sunday in 10 Downing Street, reportedly discussing the "depth and breadth" of connections between the UK and Ireland, along with the importance of joint cooperation to find solutions to pressing problems.

RTE said Truss and Martin concurred that Brussels and London had a chance to resolve the difficulties relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol through negotiation.

The visit of the Irish Prime Minister did not see the two parties issuing an official bilateral meeting and no press release followed. 

In January 2021, as a trade and cooperation agreement between the parties went into force, the UK and the EU finished their Brexit transition. The UK exited the EU's single market and customs union in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, and despite being a part of the UK, Northern Ireland continued participating in the European single market and customs unions. 

All commodities and animal-based products arriving in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol must be examined upon arrival to make sure they comply with EU sanitary regulations.

The UK government introduced in June a bill unilaterally revising the provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol, arguing that the deal was not working, as it causes delays and interruptions to the supply chain between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. This incensed the EU, prompting Brussels to take legal action against the UK.

The British bill stipulates the establishment of a "green channel" for goods transported from the UK to Northern Ireland, as well as amending tax regulations, stripping the European Court of its role as the sole arbiter of disputes.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss received a communication from the Biden administration on Wednesday, September 7, in office cautioning her against "efforts to dismantle the Northern Ireland protocol."

The message was delivered at the White House when spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the first phone conversation between Biden and Truss. Despite the fact that Jean-Pierre was never asked about the Northern Ireland Protocol, she brought it into discussion nevertheless.

Although Washington applauds Truss' steadfast support for Ukraine, her stance on the protocol is viewed as the main source of friction in the two countries' ties.

When Truss announced in May that the government would move on with legislation that would modify portions of the protocol, a move largely seen as a violation of international law, it caught the White House off guard. At the time, she was the foreign secretary. The Biden campaign received assurances from Boris Johnson that no decision in that regard had been made.

The European Commission raised in May the prospect of a trade war with the United Kingdom, promising to retaliate with "all measures at its disposal" if Truss goes forward with her plan to alter the Northern Ireland protocol.

On Tuesday, the foreign secretary announced intentions to introduce legislation to amend the protocol, including the elimination of all inspections on goods traveling from the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland that are not headed for the Republic of Ireland.