- By Ione Wells, Chris Mason and Jessica Parker
- BBC Politics
Rishi Sunak will hold face-to-face talks with the president of the European Commission as he tries to secure a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
The PM and Ursula von der Leyen said they would discuss “other complex challenges” around the Northern Ireland Protocol on Monday.
The UK wants to change the protocol, which will see some items checked when entering from the rest of the UK.
Dominic Raab earlier said Britain and the EU were “on the verge” of a deal.
Sunak and Ms von der Leyen said they agreed to continue their work “towards shared, practical solutions”.
A deal has been expected for days, with recent talks focusing on its presentation and delivery.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab earlier told the BBC that the UK was close to securing a deal with the European Union.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Raab said: “We’re on the cusp, we’ve made a lot of progress, we’re not there yet, but this is an important deal…
“I think it will mark a paradigm shift first and foremost for the communities of Northern Ireland, but I think it’s a significant achievement.”
The protocol, signed by Boris Johnson in 2020, means that Northern Ireland continues to comply with certain EU laws so that goods can flow freely across the Irish Republic border without checks.
Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland continues to comply with certain EU laws to circumvent the need for checks at the UK’s border with the Republic of Ireland.
Currently, goods are inspected at ports in Northern Ireland upon arrival from England, Scotland or Wales. They can be transferred to the Republic of Ireland once the checks are complete.
The new plan will see things split into two different lanes. Those destined for Northern Ireland will only go to the green lane and will not be checked while those destined to the Irish Republic and the EU will go to the red lane and carry out the checks.