Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic has reiterated the EU’s stance on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Speaking in Brussels following a call with UK foreign secretary Liz Truss, Sefcovic said: “We will not renegotiate the protocol and the EU is united in this position. Unilateral action, effectively disapplying the protocol, is not the solution for the way forward.

“Only joint, durable solutions will answer the needs of people and businesses in Northern Ireland and bring a long term legal certainty and predictability they ask for.”

The Protocol was implemented to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the wake of Brexit by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods. It has been heavily criticised by unionist groups for allegedly undermining the union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which remains outside the EU customs union.

Last December the EU and UK had struck a deal to ease the supply of medicines into Northern Ireland. However the EU said it was not prepared to negotiate aspects of the deal such as the European Court of Justice oversight criticised by Lord Frost.

Draft plans suggest the UK government is set to argue that the row is stunting Northern Irish politics, and that suspending it will help preserve peace.