EU will 'respect' Brexit decision says Sir John Redwood

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EU officials hinted that they would limit the number of trade checks between mainland Britain and the region if the Prime Minister signs up to the bloc’s regulations for animal and plant health. The suggestion comes after the bloc announced it was suing the UK over his move to defy EU-ordered controls on shipments of supermarket goods in the Irish Sea. EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic gave the Prime Minister a month to back down or risk being hauled before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

But the top eurocrat proposed entering into political negotiations with Brexit minister Lord Frost in the hope of finding a compromise.

He believes the UK could reduce the number of trade checks required under the Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent a hard border by dynamically aligning to the bloc’s food safety rules.

To keep the Irish border open, the region effectively remains part of the EU’s single market and some checks are now made on some products arriving from the rest of the UK.

An EU official said: “If, for instance, the UK were willing to envisage continued alignment with EU SPS rules, many, many, many of these problems would be solved.

“The difficulty that we faced up until now the UK Government to do so.”

The source added: “We are willing to discuss these matters, and stand ready to do so.

“The first step would be for the UK to tell us exactly what they intend to do, and when, in order to implement the protocol in full.

“This is a second violation of international law on the same issue.

“We think that is an enormous problem because there are real life issues behind all of this.”

Whitehall officials say that Downing Street will not consider any offers that lock Britain into the EU’s regulatory sphere.

Insiders have signalled they are instead ready to enter into a legal showdown with Brussels over No10’s plans to unilaterally delay the introduction of EU trade checks on Northern Ireland.

They insisted the move was simply to stop supermarket shelves in the region from running bare.

And their actions were needed because eurocrats had dragged their feet in recent talks over possible exemptions from red tape for Northern Ireland.

Government lawyers have informed ministers they’ve done nothing wrong and say Brussels is overreacting.

A UK spokesman said: “Low key operational measures like these are well precedented and common in the early days of major international treaties.

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“In some areas, the EU also seems to need time to implement the detail of our agreements.

“This is a normal process when implementing new treaties and not something that should warrant legal action.

“All sides need to keep in mind the fact that the Protocol depends on cross-community consent and confidence if it is to work.

“We look to continue discussing the issues in a constructive fashion.”

Brussels has launched a twin-track legal attack on Britain that could result in multi-million pound fines or punitive trade sanctions on our goods.

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Mr Sefcovic said: “The EU and the UK agreed the protocol together.

“We are also bound to implement it together. Unilateral decisions and international law violations by the UK defeat its purpose and undermine trust between us.

“The UK must properly implement it if we are to achieve our objectives. That is why we are launching legal action.”

The Government fears that the bloc’s bureaucratic approach could cause the post-Brexit border arrangements to collapse. 

This is the second time eurocrats have tried to sue over the Northern Ireland issue in the last six months.

The initial dispute, sparked when Downing Street announced plans to tear up the parts of the Brexit deal relating to the region in autumn last year, was eventually resolved by signing of the trade treaty.

Now the two sides are locked in an angry battle over the Government’s move to delay the introduction of extra trade checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Both sides previously agreed to a three-month grace period from new controls to give businesses and people time to adjust.

But British officials are fearful that the EU red tape could spark a food shortage in the region as firms, including supermarkets, come to terms with the new paperwork when the measures expire at the end of the month. 

Downing Street will press on with plans to unilaterally extend the exemptions until October 1.

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