The European Commission has said it is exploring all options available under EU law in order to address the issue of supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
Acknowledging the joint letter from the First and Deputy First Ministers on the issue, revealed by RTÉ News yesterday, Commission spokesman Dan Ferrie said the EU took the problem of ensuring the flow of food products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland supermarket shelves "very seriously".
Mr Ferrie said checks on food safety, to which products from GB will be subject once they enter Northern Ireland from 1 January, were "there to protect the health and safety of consumers in the single market, including consumers in Northern Ireland."
In a statement he said: "The Withdrawal Agreement's Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland prevents the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
"It protects peace, stability and prosperity, North-South cooperation and the integrity of the EU Single Market.
"In order to do so, certain EU rules will continue to apply in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period. That means that goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, and the rest of the world, will need to meet EU rules on food safety."
He added: "These rules are there to protect the health and safety of consumers in the single market, including consumers in Northern Ireland."
Mr Ferrie said the European Commission, which is currently engaged with the UK government through the EU-UK Joint Committee, set up to implement the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, was aware of the concerns raised regarding supermarkets and the import of food products into Northern Ireland.
DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Féin leader Michelle O'Neill took the rare step of writing a joint letter on the issue to the EU's representative on the Joint Committee, Maros Sefcovic.
They wrote: "It is hard to imagine a more fundamental aspect of everyday life than the purchase of daily food supplies. Hence we would ask you to recognise how important it is that the current consideration of the detail of how the Protocol will be applied takes our unique context into account."
Mr Ferrie said: "We take this issue very seriously in the same way that we are taking very seriously every single issue regarding Northern Ireland.
"We are currently exploring all options available under EU law. Discussions on this will continue with our UK counterparts in the Joint Committee and the relevant Specialised Committee."
Mr Ferrie said the Commission would reply to the letter shortly.
