URSULA von der Leyen has told UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the EU will not renegotiate the post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland.
On Thursday, the European Commission president said that Brussels is willing to be "flexible", but won't sanction a complete tear-down and re-build of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
"PM Boris Johnson called to present the UK Command paper on the Irish/Northern Irish Protocol," Ms von der Leyen tweeted.
"The EU will continue to be creative and flexible within the Protocol framework. But we will not renegotiate.
"We must jointly ensure stability and predictability in Northern Ireland.
Her dismissal comes after Mr Johnson argued that there is a "huge opportunity to find reasonable, practical solutions to the difficulties" currently being experienced in Northern Ireland.
PM @BorisJohnson called to present the UK Command paper on the Irish/Northern Irish Protocol.
The EU will continue to be creative and flexible within the Protocol framework. But we will not renegotiate.
We must jointly ensure stability and predictability in Northern Ireland.— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 22, 2021
He even urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join the EU to "collective engage in a constructive and detailed discussion on the UK's proposals."
Downing Street said that Mr Johnson "set out that the way the Protocol was currently operating was unsustainable," during his call with Ms von der Leyen.
"Solutions could not be found through the existing mechanisms of the Protocol," a No 10 statement said.
"That was why we had set out proposals for significant changes to it. He urged the EU to look at those proposals seriously and work with the UK on them.
"There is a huge opportunity to find reasonable, practical solutions to the difficulties facing people and businesses in Northern Ireland, and thereby put the relationship between the UK and the EU on a better footing."
The Northern Ireland Protocol was put in place to ensure there would be no hard border with Ireland, as per the Good Friday Agreement, but what it has led to is an effective trade barrier in the Irish Sea.
