Britain has yet to receive a formal response from the European Union over its proposal to further extend a grace period on checks on some foodstuffs moving to Northern Ireland just days before the latest deadline, a minister said today.
The current grace period waiving checks on British-made sausages and other chilled meats moving to Northern Ireland is due to end on 30 June.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis told Times Radio: "We think we have put forward a sensible proposal, something actually quite moderate while we work out a long-term solution and I am hopeful over the next few days that those technical discussions, we'll be able to get that secured with the EU.
"We're coming very close up against the deadline now and we've not yet formally heard back from the EU. They need to come back to us. I am hopeful they will come back in a positive way."
Mr Lewis urged the EU to back up its words about showing flexibility on Irish Sea trade barriers with actions.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC, Mr Lewis said that the government would "rectify" the "big disruption" being caused by Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
He blamed the situation on the EU's "purist" implementation of the Irish Sea trading arrangements.
"I'm not denying the fact there is big disruption in Northern Ireland to businesses and consumers, we need to rectify that and we will do that," he said.
"We've got to make sure that we are delivering for people in Northern Ireland, that we get the flexibility so that people in Northern Ireland have the same experience as they would anywhere else in the United Kingdom in terms of being able to receive products and goods.
"Now that's a two-way thing and the EU needs to show the flexibility that they keep talking about."
