Maroš Šefčovič reiterates EU’s readiness to minimise controls on goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland

12/09/2022 (Agence Europe) – European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič is ready to reduce physical checks on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Britain to “a few lorries a day”, the Financial Times reported on Monday 12 September. In an interview with the British daily newspaper, the vice-president explained that these physical checks would only be carried out if there was a suspicion of smuggling, illegal trade, transport of drugs or toys or poisoned food. “These proposals are not new”, says a Commission source, and are part of the package of control adjustments already proposed to the UK government at the end of 2021 to minimise administrative procedures. No further working groups between the Commission and the UK have been scheduled yet, the Commission adds, but it expects work to resume. (SP)