David Frost believes in reaching a trade agreement with the EU

British Brexit Secretary David Frost is trying to "quell passions" in the UK's trade dispute with the European Union, declaring he believes in reaching an agreement with the bloc. The UK's chief negotiator continues to see differences, but added that the EU has noted efforts to resolve the problem. "Whether that will happen is another question," Frost said during a visit to Belfast in northern Ireland on Wednesday. It is the Protocol on Northern Ireland enshrined in the Post-Post-Trade Agreement that constitutes the "apple of contention" between Britain and the EU. The aim of the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol is to prevent British goods from entering the EU's common market without customs clearance, while guaranteeing the continuation of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the European Community. However, the protocol creates a trade border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom wants fundamental changes in the functioning and management of the protocol. The EU has proposed a package of measures to reduce its practical impact. Disagreements between Britain and the EU have been going on for months, and London has threatened to suspend part of the post-development trade agreement if no solution is found. Frost noted that activating a clause known as Article 16 was a "real option", but added that Britain preferred a solution without using this article. This provision of the trade agreement allows either party to suspend parts of the agreement in case of extreme circumstances. If Britain were to take such a step, it would provoke retaliation by the EU and could result in a trade war between Britain and the EU. European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who leads the EU's Brexit negotiating team, recently outlined a possible 80 percent reduction in food, plant and animal controls and a half administration for transport companies in the context of the Northern Ireland Protocol.