"We are dealing with ideologues. You cannot reason with them."
Disappointing that agreement has not been reached and yet more pressure on Johnson.
Quote:
EU warns UK on Northern Ireland protocol after inconclusive talks
Speaking in Brussels after hours of inconclusive talks on Friday with UK Brexit minister Lord David Frost, the EU’s Brexit negotiator Maros Sefcovic told reporters: “Let there be no doubt that triggering Article 16 — to seek the renegotiation of the protocol — would have serious consequences.
“Serious for Northern Ireland, as it would lead to instability and unpredictability. And serious also for EU-UK relations in general, as it would mean a rejection of EU efforts to find a consensual solution to the implementation of the protocol.”..
The EU said its reforms would cut customs checks by half and health checks by 80 per cent on British products clearly destined for Northern Ireland. But UK officials have said this does not go far enough...
After the inconclusive talks on Friday, Sefcovic said: “We have seen no move at all from the UK side. I find this disappointing and once again, I urge the UK government to engage with us sincerely.”..
While some advocated targeted action, such as slowing cross-Channel trade with more intensive customs and health checks, others favour the more dramatic move of ending the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which permits tariff and quota-free goods trade between the EU and UK...
The UK would then have a year to decide whether to stick with the protocol and the TCA, or trade on World Trade Organization terms...
“If the TCA [termination] is triggered it would be 12 months before it takes effect. You start a new clock with a new deadline,” said one EU diplomat. “The member states don’t think this negotiation is going anywhere. We are dealing with ideologues. You cannot reason with them.”
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https://www.ft.com/content/e028f050-...a-48ed90b8671f