On Wednesday 24 February, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations, Maroš Šefčovič, and the British Minister Michael Gove have held the first meeting of the Joint Committee since the end of the transition period.
The parties “welcomed the progress made on citizens’ rights in recent weeks in implementing the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK under the Withdrawal Agreement” said the joint statement. The two men also took stock of the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and of work to find pragmatic solutions.
“The parties acknowledged the importance of joint action to make the Protocol work for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland. In that spirit, the EU and UK reiterated their full commitment to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement in all its dimensions, and to the proper implementation of the Protocol”.
The UK and the EU also emphasised their shared commitment to implement “those solutions agreed through the Joint Committee on 17 December 2020, without delay”, as requested by the European Union, who had identified shortcomings on the British side, particularly in terms of information systems.
Without mentioning the issue of the grace period (which provides for a three-month lessening in customs controls) for specific sectors, which London is still requesting it be extended until 2023, the two sides agreed that the UK “would provide a new operational plan with respect to supermarkets and their suppliers, alongside additional investment in digital solutions for traders in accordance with the Protocol”.
The discussion over this British request is not complete, explained the Commission, and solutions are still being sought. According to Irish public television broadcaster RTE, the European Commission has not yet ruled out an extension of grace periods. It would also consider a ‘veterinary agreement’ with the UK, with a view to making certain checks less strenuous and more workable.
The date of the next meeting of the Joint Committee is not yet known. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)