But Eurocrats argue this is a breach of the terms of the Brexit deal’s Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent a hard border.
To keep the Irish border open, Northern Ireland effectively remains part of the EU’s single market and some checks are now made on some products arriving from the rest of the UK.
Mr Sefcovic and Mr Coveney will discuss the issue with the influential group of Congress members, which played a key role in securing US support for the peace process.
Their intervention will be seen as a move to convince Washington to crack down on the UK in upcoming trade talks unless Downing Street drops its plans for Northern Ireland.
| UPDATED: 14:43, Wed, Mar 10, 2021
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EU states, led by France, backed plans set out last night by the bloc’s new Brexit chief Maros Sefcovic at a private meeting of senior diplomats. The Slovak Commission vice-president could launch formal legal proceedings as early as today, sources have told Express.co.uk. Eurocrats are furious that Downing Street has announced it intends to unilaterally delay the introduction of customs checks on supermarket and other agricultural goods shipped between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.
“The opportunity here is that we can start a new cycle in our relationship and move on.
“The risk is we add insult to injury.”
The tensions were stoked by Downing Street’s decision to unilaterally extend a grace period from EU red tape for Northern Ireland.
Brussels fears Lord Frost will spark tit-for-tat Brexit battles (Image: GETTY)
Lord Frost is Boris Johnson s top Europe adviser (Image: GETTY)
No10 will override customs controls on trade between Great Britain and the region to allow its businesses to adjust to the Brexit deal’s protocol to prevent a hard border.
To avoid a hard border, Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU rules for goods, meaning the introduction of some checks in the Irish Sea.
| UPDATED: 16:24, Fri, Mar 5, 2021
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French MEP Nathalie Loiseau said Boris Johnson’s move to ignore EU red tape for the region showed Britain “doesn’t respect its commitments towards” the bloc. She was in a cabal of angry EU Parliament chiefs who have threatened to vote down the Brexit trade deal, which still has not been fully approved by the bloc. Ms Loiseau, a former French Europe minister, fumed: “Once again the British Government doesn’t respect its commitments towards the EU and choses defiance instead of trust.