"Still Far Apart On Big Issues": UK On Talks With EU Over Northern Ireland Trade
NDTV
UK and European Union disagree over how to implement customs and safety checks faced by goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom said on Saturday that talks with the European Union over post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland had been constructive, but substantial differences remained.
Goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland currently face customs checks, as part of a deal reached before Brexit to avoid more contentious border checks between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and EU member Ireland.
However, Britain and the EU disagree over how to implement customs and safety checks, which fall especially heavily on meat, dairy and medical products. Britain also objects to the role played by the EU's supreme court in policing the deal.
"The talks this week were constructive and we've heard some things from the EU that we can work with - but the reality is that we are still far apart on the big issues, especially governance," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said in a statement released late on Saturday.
