The Union is calling on Britain to reach an agreement on food imports

The European Union has called on the Britain to consider a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with Brussels on imports of agri-food products in order to end the so-called Brexite sausage war, which affected the transport of certain meat products between Britain and its province of Northern Ireland. The problem with the transport of chilled meat has increased tensions in connection with the implementation of the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol. The EU bans imports of chilled, non-frozen meat, such as sausages, minced meat and other products, from third countries. Under the London-Brussels Brexit Trade Agreement, the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and neighboring Ireland, an EU Member State, has remained open. The aim of this step was to protect the so-called Belfast Agreement, which ended the conflict in Northern Ireland, as well as the EU's single market. And given that Northern Ireland applies EU rules on food safety, imports of these products from Britain should not be allowed until the rules have been harmonized. The six-month withdrawal period, which delayed the ban on imports of chilled meat agreed by London and Brussels last December, expired on 30 June. Both sides extended it by three months at the last minute last week. The vice-president of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, the main participant in negotiations with Britain after leaving the bloc, said on Tuesday that the biggest challenge for Brussels is a way to restore confidence and adjust relations with London. "Building mutual trust requires first and foremost cooperation and avoiding surprises," he said of the unilateral extension of the withdrawal period by Britain for imports of certain types of food into his province of Northern Ireland. "In response, we were forced to initiate infringement proceedings (legal action). Without satisfactory action by the United Kingdom to remedy these measures, we will have no choice but to intensify these legal actions, "he said at the conference. The EU fears an uncontrolled flow of goods from Northern Ireland to the bloc's single market.