At a meeting in London, Šefčovič tried to calm the post-Brexit trade turmoil

UK Brexit Minister Michael Gove and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič met in London to try to resolve the problems caused by the final break-up of Britain and the European Union by the end of last year. These relate in particular to Northern Ireland, which was one of the most complicated issues during the negotiations on the post-Brexit trade agreement. Since the United Kingdom left the EU's economic structures on 31 December 2020, goods transported between the United Kingdom and the EU under the agreement have been subject to customs controls. This also applies to goods bound for Northern Ireland, as they border Ireland - an EU Member State. These controls have upset the fragile political balance in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom where some people consider themselves British and others Irish, and harsh borders could upset the Irish peace process. The United Kingdom wants the EU to take a more lenient approach to border controls, which have already led to shortcomings and delays in delivering certain goods to Northern Ireland. However, the EU claims that certain economic problems are the result of Britain's decision to leave the single market and the bloc's union, and insists that the Northern Ireland Protocol cannot be significantly renegotiated. Before Thursday's meeting, Šefčovič pointed out shortcomings in the implementation of the agreement by Britain, stating that customs are fully operational and controls are carried out only to a limited extent.