Coveney: EU Can't Trust Britain

Minister frustrated at breaking of NI Protocol

- Michelle Devane

The EU is negotiating with a partner it “simply cannot trust” Simon Coveney has said after the UK’s latest Brexit move.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs described the British Government’s unilateral decision to continue Irish Sea border grace periods until October as “very frustrating”.

Speaking on RTE Radio One, Mr Coveney said it is breaking the Northern Ireland Protocol and its own commitments.

He added: “This is not the first time this has happened, that they are negotiating with a partner that they simply cannot trust.

“That is why the EU is now looking at legal options and legal actions which effectively means a much more formalised and rigid negotiation process as opposed to a process of partnership where you try to solve problems together, so this is really unwelcome. It’s the British Government essentially breaking the protocol, breaking their own commitments again, and the EU having to then consider how they respond to that.”