He urged Mr Johnson to “stick to facts” and the compromise agreed last year. And he rejected claims that Brussels could ban exports of UK food and livestock to the bloc if there was no trade deal. Mr Barnier’s UK counterpart Lord Frost said a “careful balance” had been struck to preserve peace on the island of Ireland.
He said ministers are now putting in place “powers in reserve to avoid it being disrupted”.
The peer also claimed the EU “said to us explicitly” during trade talks that if Brussels does not formally recognise the UK’s post-Brexit food standards regime “we will not be able to move food to Northern Ireland”.
It came as the Justice Secretary said new legislation to allow ministers to override parts of the EU divorce deal was an “insurance policy”.
Robert Buckland told the BBC’s Andrew Marr he would resign if the rule of law is “broken in a way that I find unacceptable”.
He added: “This is all about insurance planning, if you like, a ‘break the glass in an emergency’ provision.”
Mr Johnson’s Internal Markets Bill is due to be debated in the Commons today.
