Brexit: ‘This is a real test of political goodwill’

The European Commissioner for Institutional Affairs said in a statement that the EU was confident that its proposals for a solution, made in mid-October, would allay any concerns on the issue. In his statement, he said that although a shift has occurred, it is particularly important to facilitate customs clearance of medicines. “This is a real test of political goodwill,” he said. He noted that the EU was awaiting a response from the UK on EU proposals for customs controls on goods destined for Northern Ireland, including controls on sanitary and phytosanitary products.

Mr Sefcovic said in a statement that the EU expected London to reciprocate the EU action, as the EU’s proposal to drastically simplify customs would affect a wide range of consumer goods from the UK to Northern Ireland, reducing customs controls by about 80 per cent. 50 per cent of the relevant customs procedures.

Britain submitted a proposal to the European Union in mid-October to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol. The British Foreign Secretary for Britain’s exit from the European Union, David Frost, indicated that in the absence of an agreement, the British government could even suspend the implementation of the protocol unilaterally. The European Commission has previously stated that it will not renegotiate the protocol, which has been ratified by both the European Union and the United Kingdom, and insists on its implementation.

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