Maroš Šefčovič: GB-NI checks agreement possible in weeks with political will

Mr Šefčovič told parliamentarians that he did not believe the EU and the UK were “worlds apart” on the protocol, as he warned that unilateral action by the UK government would have “serious” consequences.

European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič (Rob Pinney/PA)

Maroš Šefčovič has suggested that UK-EU agreement on checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland could happen within weeks, with the right “political will”.

It comes as Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen agreed to “work together” to end the row over the Northern Ireland Protocol, when they met for the first time at Cop27 in Egypt.