But Europeans have always rejected such measures, considering them a danger to the integrity of their market.
And on Wednesday, although he declared himself willing to seek “innovative solutions”, the vice president of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, made it clear that “we will not accept a renegotiation of the protocol.”
For his part, Simon Coveney, head of Irish diplomacy, recalled that the text had been agreed by both parties and “encouraged the UK to work in collaboration with the EU to identify viable solutions.”
London and Brussels have already reached an agreement that allowed them to continue sending refrigerated meat to shops in the region for another three months, until September 30.
According to a document sent to the European Commission on Wednesday, the moratorium now requested by London would include extending the current grace periods and stopping legal actions by the EU.
This solution will allow “tackling the issues as a whole”, rather than asking for several successive extensions, explained Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis.
The following day, in a telephone conversation with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Johnson reiterated that the Northern Irish protocol that regulates trade with that British region is “unworkable” and “urged the EU to seriously study the proposals. “presented by his government on Wednesday, Downing Street reported in a statement.