A solution to the Northern Ireland protocol issue is possible, but there can be no hard border on the island of Ireland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Irish Parliament on Thursday.
Speaking to the Oireachtas, von der Leyen told lawmakers, “if there is the political will in the UK, I am very confident that we can reach a positive conclusion.”
“The consequences of Brexit, and the kind of Brexit chosen by the UK cannot be removed entirely,” she said. “The solutions we find must ensure that the single market continues to function in Ireland and elsewhere in the European Union. I think if both sides are sensitive to this careful balance, a workable solution is within reach.”
“I’m glad that today our talks with London are marked by a new, more pragmatic spirit,” she said, adding that her contacts with the UK’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been “encouraging.”
During her speech, she also addressed the war in Ukraine and the ongoing energy crisis, applauding Irish investment in renewable energy.
Von der Leyen also met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Micheal D Higgins on her visit to Dublin. She is the second Commission President to address the Oireachtas after Jean-Claude Juncker in 2018.
(Molly Killeen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
