Talks Continue Today On NI Protocol While Fisheries Deadline Looms

Two notable events in EU-UK relations take place today, with the likely result of no improvement and a potential further decline in relations between the UK and the bloc.

• UK Cabinet Office minister Lord Frost meets with European Commission VP Maros Sefcovic virtually for another round of talks on resolving issues related to the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
• There has been marginal progeess in talks in recent weeks, with some move towards compromise on the shipping of medicines between Northern Ireland and Great Britian. However, no substantial progress is expected today. The UK gov't continues to assert its right to invoke Art.16 of the protocol that would result in its disapplication, which the EU views as a fundamental risk to the Single Market.
• On the politically-oversized issue of fisheries, the EU has set the end of today as the deadline for the UK to deal with the provision of fishing licences for French trawlers in British and Channel Island waters. The UK gov't has stated that it does not recognise this deadline, but the number of licences granted in recent weeks has ticked up.
• The row risks the EU launching litigation proceedings against the UK for failing to abide by the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached at the end of 2019.