Commission Pres. To Address Irish Parl't w/NI Protocol Still In Focus

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit Ireland next week for talks with Taoiseach (PM) Micheal Martin and President Michael D Higgins, before delivering an address to the joint houses of the Oireachtas (parliament).

• The address comes as progress on resolving issues regarding the Northern Ireland protocol remains extremely slow. Yesterday, head of the unionist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stated that there would be no return of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont until the protocol was ditched.
• Snap elections for Stormont are due in the new year following the failure of parties to form a power-sharing executive.
• UK Northern Ireland Office minister Steve Baker proposed changing the Trade and Cooperation Agreement according to a story in The Guardian, "by adding a “customs cooperation chapter” and changing the protocol to include a dispute mechanism that does not involve the ECJ."
• However, the EU has shown no sign of wanting to re-open negotiations, and all signals from Brussels show no inclination to remove the ECJ's role from the NI protocol.
• Notable pressure on political leaders given the UK, EU, and US have signalled April 2023 (the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement) as a deadline for the protocol issue to be resolved.