DUBLIN: The European Union and UK officials will discuss in Brussels today the controversy surrounding the Northern Ireland protocol ahead of Brexit.
The European Union claims to have a presence in Belfast. They say this will enable EU officials to oversee the inspection and control of goods arriving from the UK after Brexit.
It also aims to reduce the likelihood that British products will be shipped from Northern Ireland to the Republic and thus to Europe.
At the same time, the UK is concerned about the EU’s regulatory scrutiny of large quantities of food going from the UK to supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
Although the Northern Ireland Protocol does not guarantee strict controls on land, customs and regulatory inspections are effectively carried out in the Irish Sea.
At the same time, there is confusion as to what effect British legislation, which empowers ministers to unilaterally reject key parts of the protocol, will have on future shipments and inspections.
Of these, the European Commission has taken legal action but the two sides are still talking about issues through a high-level joint committee.
The European Union (EU) has said it will have a presence in Belfast to do so, as it’s a protocol for European officials to oversee customs and regulatory inspections of goods from Britain to Northern Ireland.
The issue has been on the rise since the beginning of this year. However, the UK rejected the request to allow a technical office.
At the same time, officials say the EU has not abandoned the idea and needs to resolve it by the end of the year.
The UK is working hard for the smooth movement of large quantities of foodstuffs going directly from the UK to supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
Discussions on this will also take place in Brussels today.