In May, then-foreign minister Liz Truss introduced legislation to unilaterally adjust the Brexit agreement. The same Truss has taken the lead in England since last week. The new prime minister said in the House of Commons last week that he would prefer a negotiated solution with the EU, even though the EU must meet all of Britain’s requirements, according to Truss.

However, Sefcovic saw enough clues to start negotiating again. According to him, the difference between UK requirements (no customs control) and European offers (minimum control) is small. With the right technique, some checks can be carried out remotely while the truck is on board the ferry. “Then only a few trucks a day need to be physically inspected,” said the Slovak FT.

Negotiations between the EU and the UK broke down in late February. Since then, the parties have not met formally to discuss Northern Ireland’s border issue. There are also no plans for a new round of negotiations.