Posted on Mar 07, 2021

Brussels should "shake off its ill will" towards Britain, says David Frost

Britain’s top EU adviser Lord David Frost, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, said on Sunday, that Brussels should shake off its ill will and build a good relationship with Britain as sovereign equals.

“I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.

“That is what I will be working towards, acting constructively when we can, standing up for our interests when we must – as a sovereign country in full control of our own destiny.”

Relations between Britain and the EU have soured, with both sides accusing the other of acting in bad faith in relation to part of their trade agreement that covers goods movements to Northern Ireland.

Frost defended the British government’s extension of a grace period for checks on some food products imported by retailers to Northern Ireland as being “lawful and consistent with the progressive and good faith implementation” of part of the post-Brexit trade deal called the Northern Ireland protocol.

He added, “Without this threat of disruption, we can continue our discussions with the EU to resolve difficulties arising from the protocol constructively – and we aim to do so.”

Following troubled negotiations over Northern Ireland, during which the European Union created the spectre of a "hard border" with the south, it was agreed to leave the province aligned to the EU’s single market for goods, thereby requiring checks on some items arriving in Northern Ireland from elsewhere in the United Kingdom. To address that issue, the British government extended the grace period for some checks until October 1st.

The EU disputes that the grace period extension was in line with the agreement, saying London should honour what it signed up to. It has promised to launch legal action, or a so-called “infringement procedure” against Britain.

Follow EU Today on Social media: