Brexit: UK and EU in NI Protocol 'stock-taking' meeting

The body which oversees the Northern Ireland Protocol will meet in Brussels later as efforts continue to agree on how to implement the deal.

The Joint Committee is chaired by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.

Their officials have been engaged in technical talks since October.

However there is not expected to be an announcement of a major breakthrough on Monday.

The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.

That also creates a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The EU accepts that is causing difficulties for businesses and in October proposed a package of measures to reduce its practical impacts.

The talks are understood to have made some progress in trying to find ways to reduce the burden of customs paperwork on Northern Ireland businesses.

But in other areas, like agri-food, there are still large differences.

Mrs Truss described Monday's meeting as a stock-taking exercise.

"I will be outlining to EU member states the importance of finding solutions that protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions," she said.

"It is important we all work together to preserve peace and stability in Northern Ireland, allowing us to focus on building a stronger relationship and focus on external issues, not least the situation in Eastern Europe and standing up to Russian aggression."

Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers normally attend the Joint Committee but those positions are vacant since the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Paul Givan stepped down from the first minister's post.

He resigned as part of the DUP's campaign of opposition to the protocol.

It is understood junior ministers Gary Middleton of the DUP and Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney will attend instead.