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Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, today said she was ‘very confident’ a deal could be struck to end the Brexit row over Northern Ireland.
Speaking on a two-day visit to Dublin, Ms von der Leyen insisted Brussels would show a ‘constructive approach’ to the dispute about post-Brexit trade rules.
She also stressed the EU had been ‘listening very carefully to the concerns of people and businesses’ over the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Ms von der Leyen’s comments will further boost hopes of an imminent breakthrough in ongoing talks over the Protocol.
Both the EU and UK have recently pointed to improved ‘mood music’ around discussions, as both sides look to move beyond a bitter spat over Britain’s threat to unilaterally tear up the Protocol using new legislation at Westminster.
Ursula von der Leyen said she was ‘very confident’ a deal could be struck to end the Brexit row over Northern Ireland
The European Commission president was greeted in Dublin by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin
Ms von der Leyen warned the EU’s ‘very close co-operation’ with Ireland on Brexit issues would not weaken
Unionists in Northern Ireland fear the Protocol has weakened their position as part of the United Kingdom
The Protocol was designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
But Britain has attacked the EU for being too rigid in its implementation of the Brexit agreement, such as the imposition of ‘bureaucratic’ checks on goods moving across the Irish Sea.
Unionists in Northern Ireland also fear the Protocol has weakened their position as part of the UK.
The DUP are continuing to block the re-establishment of power-sharing government in Northern Ireland in the absence of reforms to the Protocol.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic – the two lead negotiators on the Protocol – held a regular catch-up call this afternoon on the state of talks.
Both spoke positively about finding a ‘solution’ to the Protocol row, with Mr Sefcovic promising to ‘make the most of this clear window of opportunity’.
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Ahead of their call, Ms von der Leyen also fuelled expectations that an agreement to end the Protocol row could soon be found.
She said: ‘We, the European Union has been listening very carefully to the concerns of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.
‘We have always shown flexibility, we will always have a constructive approach to these issues.
‘If there is the political will in the UK, I am very confident that we can reach a positive conclusion.’
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic – the two lead negotiators on the Protocol – held a regular catch-up call this afternoon
But the European Commission president also warned that the EU’s ‘very close co-operation’ with Ireland on Brexit issues would not weaken.
‘It was ironclad and is ironclad, and this is so important,’ she said, after being greeted in Dublin by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin
‘I know that Brexit meant a lot of adaptation for Ireland, but you have done this very successfully as far as I can see it.’
In an address to the Irish parliament later, Ms von der Leyen said her recent contatcts with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been ‘encouraging’.
She added: ‘I’m glad that today our talks with London are marked by a new, more pragmatic spirit because the EU and the UK are still members of the same extended family, even if we no longer live in the same house.
‘I can promise you that whenever the EU sits down with our British friends, we will do so with “an honest heart and an open mind” – to quote the great Irish band The Saw Doctors.
‘By applying common sense and focusing on the issues that really matter in Northern Ireland, I believe we can make progress in resolving the practical issues surrounding the Protocol.’
Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, Simon Coveney, also expressed hope that Mr Sunak’s appointment as PM could lead to an end to the Brexit dispute.
He said: ‘The UK is our neighbour. It’s our friend and a country that we and the rest of the EU want a deep partnership with as they travel a new journey outside of the EU.
‘I hope that with a new UK Prime Minister, and indeed in new context internationally, we can now grasp the opportunity to resolve our Brexit related differences in the coming weeks through dialogue and compromise.’
Ms von der Leyen was also due to meet with Irish President Michael D Higgins.
