3 years ago
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By John Campbell
BBC News NI Economics & Business Editor
image sourceGetty Images
image captionThe protocol prevents a hard border with Ireland but some products need to be checked as they arrive from GBThe UK government is expected to announce further delays to some Irish Sea border checks this week.
The checks are a requirement of the NI Protocol, a deal reached by the UK and EU in 2019.
It means some products need to be checked as they arrive from GB but grace periods mean that not all the checks have been implemented.
Some of these grace periods are due to expire at the end of September but the government will now extend them.
An EU source says an announcement is expected as early as Tuesday.
The reaction of the EU to the move will be closely watched.
In March the UK unilaterally extended some grace periods.
That met with a furious response from the EU, which said that by acting alone the UK was in clear breach of the protocol.
The European Commission began a legal action against the UK, which is still continuing.
However in June, the UK formally requested an extension to the sausages grace period which was granted by the EU.
The EU said it was being "accommodating' and the UK described the move as "sensible".
The UK wants a "standstill" of all grace periods and legal actions as it attempts to persuade the EU to engage in a fundamental renegotiation of the protocol.
The EU says it will be as flexible as possible within the terms of the protocol but will not renegotiate.
Meanwhile the European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic is due to to visit Northern Ireland on Thursday and Friday.
Mr Sefcovic, the EU's lead negotiator on the protocol, will meet political, business and civic leaders.
He is also expected to hold a press conference on Friday.
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