29/07/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission confirmed on Thursday 29 July that it had decided not to proceed “at this stage” with the second stage of the infringement proceedings launched against the UK in March over the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, nor to activate the arbitration mechanisms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as some media had reported earlier in the week (see EUROPE 12678/1). Commission Vice-President Maros Šefčovič and UK Minister David Frost were also due to hold telephone talks this Thursday afternoon on the protocol and the proposed revisions requested by London on 21 July. It is because the Commission “is in a constructive state” and “wants to give itself time” to analyse these British requests that it has decided to pause its legal action, said spokeswoman Arianna Podesta. (SP)