THE European Commission vice president is set to travel to London next week to discuss the trade issues that have emerged between Britain and Northern Ireland post-Brexit.

Maros Sefcovic and UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove held a half-hour virtual meeting with Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Wednesday evening.

The crunch talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol were arranged amid mounting tensions over post-Brexit trade.

Speaking after the meeting, Sinn Fein’s O’Neill said the vice president of the commission was “emphatic” that there was no intention by the EU to cause difficulty when it moved to suspend part of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

O’Neill said Sefcovic wanted “to state very clearly” that the EU had “no intention to cause any political difficulty” with the move last Friday.

“He put his hands up and said they had made a mistake and that they moved to rectify that mistake very quickly,” she said.

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O’Neill said Sefcovic apologised on behalf of the commission and asked the leaders to judge the EU on its track record in terms of its support for the peace process both financially and politically.

“He was very gracious in his apology around that and recognised that it caused some tensions,” she said.

“I accept that apology in the way in which it was intended,” she added.

O’Neill also said Sefcovic was focused on finding solutions.

“He was very clear in terms of the rigorous implementation of the protocol and expects that to be adhered to but he did recognise we’re only six weeks into the protocol,” Ms O’Neill said.

“There are flexibilities inbuilt which he thinks haven’t even had a chance to work out yet.”

She welcomed his commitment to visit London to find ways to resolve the issues that have developed, adding that she believed it was a “very pragmatic and very constructive way” to move forward.

It comes as Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said all regulatory animal-based food checks have been suspended at Belfast and Larne ports.

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Council staff at Larne Port were withdrawn from inspection duties over concerns for their safety and welfare amid threatening loyalist behaviour.

A Daera spokesperson said: “On the basis of information received today and pending further discussions with the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland), Daera has decided in the interests of the wellbeing of staff to temporarily suspend physical inspections of products of animal origin at Larne and Belfast.

“The situation will be kept under review and in the meantime full documentary checks will continue to be carried out as usual.”

Twelve Mid and East Antrim Borough Council staff assisting officials from Daera and UK Border Force with checks at the port were withdrawn from their duties with immediate effect on Monday.

The council said the decision was made following an “upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour in recent weeks”.

Graffiti appeared in the area last month referencing tensions about the Northern Ireland Protocol and describing port staff as “targets”.