Negotiators make breakthrough in Northern Irish protocol dispute

Agreement on food and animal health checks close to being done', but no progress on trickier issues

EU and UK negotiators have made a breakthrough in reducing checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as part of efforts to resolve the long-running dispute over the Northern Irish protocol.

A senior EU official confirmed to the Guardian that an agreement on food and animal health checks was close to being done" as part of a deal that would create red and green lanes at Northern Irish ports to differentiate between goods staying in the region and those moving south to the EU's single market.