The EU and UK held the second meeting of the Specialised Committee on the implementation and application of the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland on Thursday 16 July. The meeting was held in Brussels and was co-chaired by officials from the UK government and European Commission. A representative from the Northern Ireland Executive also attended as a part of the UK delegation.

The EU and the UK took stock of the implementation work on both sides and continued their discussions on the decisions the Joint Committee is tasked with taking before the end of the transition period.

As per a statement released following the meeting, the EU have highlighted yet again that “the proper and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement remains a key priority for the EU”. They also reiterated their commitment towards working with the UK on all aspects of the negotiations. As per the UK’s statement, their position continues to remain focused on protecting the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. They also restated the central importance of protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory as set out in their Command Paper.

The parties committed to organise a third Specialised Committee meeting in the early autumn of 2020 as well.