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Brexit: NI Protocol negotiations must end by February - Coveney

Reuters Lorries leave a ferry at the Port of Larne, Northern Ireland Britain January 1, 2021.Reuters
The protocol created a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK

Negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol need to reach a conclusion by the end of February, Ireland's foreign minister has suggested.

Simon Coveney told the Financial Times that the process cannot "drift on for months".

The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.

That also creates a new trade border between NI and the rest of the UK.

The EU accepts that is causing difficulties for businesses and in October proposed a package of measures to reduce its practical impacts.

Earlier this month it published further proposals aimed at guaranteeing the supply of medicines from GB to NI.

The UK wants more far-reaching changes to the protocol's operation and governance.

The UK and EU have since been negotiating potential changes since October but have made limited progress.

Map of the the UK showing how goods travelling from GB into NI and onward to the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Coveney said the issues were well understood and that the talks should be wrapped up before campaigning begins for Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

He said: "We all know that we need to bring this discussion and negotiation to an end.

"We have elections in Northern Ireland in May. Those elections will begin in earnest really from the end of February. So this can't drift on for months."

When the negotiations resume in January the UK team will be under the control of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

She replaces Lord Frost who resigned as Brexit minister and chief negotiator because he disagreed with other areas of government policy.