Commission VP Sefcovic Talks Up Prospect Of Improving EU-UK Relations

European Commission VP Maros Sefcovic has been speaking in London to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, with the relations between EU and UK seen as the most positive in some time.

• Sefcovic states that the EU and UK stances are "not worlds apart" regarding Great Britain-Northern Ireland goods checks. Says that there must be minimum checks to ensure no smuggling into EU single markets takes place, "I believe that our respective positions are not worlds apart.
• Says he notes a "new tonality, new approach" in a "very frank and sensitive conversation I had with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly." Adds that he is hopeful that this, "positive tonality would also translate into a negotiating space for our teams so we can creatively look at all possibilities" regarding the Northern Ireland protocol.
• The elephant in the room of EU-UK relations remains the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, currently going through the House of Lords. Would unilaterally disapply NIP, and risk EU cancelling the Trade and Cooperation Agreement w/UK, meaning no FTA in place. UK gov't keen on negotiations, but cannot ditch NIP Bill yet due to unionist/Brexiteer Conservative concerns about protocol impact on UK unity.