The EU and the British government have pledged to continue intensive talks on the Northern Ireland protocol, but announced no breakthrough amid a growing expectation that Stormont elections could be postponed again in the coming days.
British and Irish ministers are due to meet in Dublin on Thursday, the deadline by which London has said it will name a date for Stormont elections, and there is speculation that Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris could postpone calling a vote for a second time.
A meeting between British foreign secretary James Cleverly and EU negotiator Maroš Šefčovič on Monday was followed by a short joint statement, seen as an indication that relations are still on a positive footing, which said the pair had reviewed progress made and that work would continue.
“The two sides discussed the range of existing challenges over the last two years and the need to find solutions together to tackle comprehensively the real-life concerns of all communities in Northern Ireland and protect both Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s internal market and the integrity of the EU’s Single Market,” according to the statement.
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“They agreed that this scoping work for potential solutions should continue in a constructive and collaborative spirit, taking careful account of each other’s legitimate interests.”
Officials in Brussels insisted that rumours of a broader announcement had been misplaced, and that progress continued to be made in a positive spirit. One source said the two teams needed to left alone to get on with the business of agreeing a deal.
The silence is viewed as a positive sign that progress is being made within the negotiating room and that the sides want a deal. They are seeking to come to an agreement that would allow for power-sharing to be restored in Northern Ireland ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
“The mood appears to be much more upbeat and positive, and the discussions have been cordial, very professional. There have been very few leaks, which I think is good news,” Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said as he arrived at a meeting of the Eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels.
However, the position of the DUP remains pivotal to the hopes to reviving power-sharing. Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on Monday reiterated his party’s opposition to the protocol, and said he does not think the EU and UK are close to a deal. “It was clear from our conversations with James Cleverly last Wednesday when he visited Belfast that there are still substantial gaps between the two sides. There is still a lot of ground to be covered. I don’t think we are close to a deal at this stage.”
He said he had “reminded both sides that progress has only ever been achieved in Northern Ireland when supported by both unionists and nationalists”.
