An Irish MEP has raised concerns over the UK’s progress in implementing the Ireland-Northern Ireland protocol contained in the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

Barry Andrews, a Fianna Fáil MEP for the Dublin constituency, said that, thus far, progress has been lacking on the protocol.

The protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland commits the UK and EU to keep trade flowing and the Northern Ireland border open, when the transition period ends on December 31, this year.

Speaking to European Parliament Radio, Andrews said: “There is nothing to show for it.”

“It’s about trust and verification. There is a mechanism there, the joint committee, and I understand that it will meet at the end of this month,” Andrews pointed out.

A joint UK-EU committee is set to meet on March 30 to oversee the technical side of implementing the protocol.

However, Andrews raised concerns that the UK has not begun work on the technology and infrastructure that would be necessary for the protocol to work.

“I think there will have to be demonstrable proof of good intentions and good faith by [the time the committee meets]. I don’t know what shape that would be,” the MEP said.

We have been an awful long time at this, and for us in Ireland, this is critical. This is a turning point.

“The old constructive ambiguity just won’t do anymore. We’re now into an end-stage,” Andrews highlighted.

Trade talks

Talks between the UK and EU on a free-trade agreement began last week, with a view to agreeing a trade deal before the end of this year.

“There’s enough common ground there for all this to be resolved, even though we’re dealing with a very tight time-frame,” Andrews remarked.

However, he stressed that: “I think we’re really just dealing with a bare-bones trade agreement between now and the end of the year, and a lot of can-kicking in respect to all the other parts of the normal investment side and services side of it.”