About: Maroš Šefčovič
EU to unveil measures to ease British goods flow to Northern Ireland
The European Commission will on Wednesday (13 October) put to Britain a package of measures to ease the transit of goods to Northern Ireland, while stopping short of the overhaul London is demanding of post-Brexit trading rules for the province.
Overhauling Irish protocol is ‘prerequisite’ to return to ‘normal’ relations, says UK minister
UK Brexit minister David Frost warned on Tuesday (12 September) that overhauling the Northern Ireland protocol was a “prerequisite” for repairing the current “fractious” relations between the UK and Brussels.
EU will go to ‘enormous lengths’ on Irish protocol, says Sefcovic
The European Union will table new proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol next week, European Commission Vice President Maros Šefčovič said on Thursday (7 October).
EU must respond to UK’s demand on Brexit deal urgently, minister says
The European Union must respond urgently to Britain's demands for changes to the deal overseeing problematic post-Brexit trade involving Northern Ireland, British Brexit Minister David Frost said on Thursday.
France builds EU support in sub row, but some warn against US rift
European allies rallied cautiously around France on Tuesday (21 September) after the US and Australian decision to strip Paris of a submarine supply contract, but some warned the dispute should not torpedo trade talks.
UK announces new delays to Irish goods checks
The UK government has set out plans to delay border checks on goods until January 2022, as it intensifies its attempts to push the European Commission towards renegotiating the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Climate tops list of global threats in EU ‘strategic foresight’ report
“Climate change and other environmental challenges” are identified as the first biggest challenge that will affect Europe in the coming decades, raising risks ranging from migration pressure to food price shocks, the European Commission said in a report adopted on Wednesday (8 September).
US, Germany to host talks on how to engage with Taliban
The EU on Wednesday (8 September) sharply criticised the composition of the new Taliban “caretaker” government, as international coordination efforts are under way to find a way in dealing with the new rulers in Kabul. The Taliban on Tuesday had...
UK extends grace periods on Northern Ireland goods checks, again
The UK and the European Union are again on collision course over the Northern Ireland protocol after Boris Johnson’s government announced on Monday (6 September) that it would again unilaterally extend grace periods on goods checks.
EU rejects UK demand for new post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland
Britain demanded on Wednesday (21 July) that the European Union agree to rewrite a deal overseeing problematic post-Brexit trade involving Northern Ireland just a year after it was agreed with the bloc, a call immediately rejected by Brussels.
EU, Ukraine sign ‘strategic partnership’ on raw materials
Kyiv will be invited on Tuesday (13 July) to join EU industrial alliances on batteries and raw materials, with a view to develop an entire value chain of the extraction, refining and recycling of minerals in Ukraine to supply the EU market for electric cars and digital equipment.
EU urges UK to accept Swiss-style deal to end agri-food standoff
The European Union urged London on Tuesday (6 July) to consider a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with Brussels on agri-foods to end a post-Brexit 'sausage war' row over certain goods moving between Britain and its province of Northern Ireland.
War of words intensifies on Northern Ireland Protocol dispute
The war of words between UK and EU officials is continuing ahead of a crunch meeting on the Northern Ireland Protocol, when Brexit Minister David Frost is due to meet European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in London.
EU confident of COVID-19 travel certificate for summer
The European Commission expects to finish work soon on a COVID-19 certificate that could allow citizens to travel more easily this summer in the 27-nation bloc, the EU executive said after a meeting with European affairs ministers.
EU on the outs with AstraZeneca as vaccine deliveries struggle to take off
EU officials remain frustrated by the behaviour of AstraZeneca pharmaceutical, which is still struggling to deliver the expected doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Europe, and are set to use all the tools at their disposal to secure further doses for Europeans.
EU launches lawsuits against UK over Irish border
The EU launched legal proceedings against Britain on Monday (15 March), alleging that London had broken a protocol of its Brexit divorce agreement covering Ireland.
Time for Boris to stop ‘passing the buck’
Bluster, bluff and a freewheeling approach to facts have been the hallmark of the attitude of Boris Johnson to the problems Brexit posed for Northern Ireland, writes Dick Roche.
UK agrees more time for EU to ratify post-Brexit pact
The UK government agreed Tuesday (23 February) to allow the European Union more time to formally ratify the post-Brexit trade deal which came into effect on January 1.
Northern Irish Brexit issue is two-way street, says EU’s Sefcovic
Britain must show it is fully using the avenues available under the Brexit divorce deal to minimise trade disruption in Northern Ireland before seeking concessions, a senior EU official said on Tuesday (23 February).
EU rejects most UK demands on Northern Ireland trade, concedes on steel
The European Union rejected on Wednesday (10 February) most of Britain's demands for easier trade with Northern Ireland but said it was examining more flexibility on steel.
Irish government slaps down UK bid to reopen NI protocol
Irish Foreign minister Simon Coveney ruled out on Thursday (4 February) the possibility of the Northern Ireland protocol being scrapped or renegotiated, following growing pressure on the issue from Boris Johnson's UK government.
EU rebuffs UK demand to soften Northern Ireland Brexit trade terms
The EU on Wednesday (3 February) rebuffed a British demand to extend a grace period for checks on goods going from Britain to Northern Ireland, saying the post-Brexit trade treaty gave London enough tools to solve the problems.
Brussels approves €2.9 billion investment into battery innovation
Twelve EU countries will jointly invest almost three billion euros into innovation in battery cell technology for electric vehicles and energy storage, cementing the EU as a “global hotspot” for battery innovation, the European Commission announced on Tuesday (26 January).