But Eurocrats argue this is a breach of the terms of the Brexit deal’s Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent a hard border. To keep the Irish border open, Northern Ireland effectively remains part of the EU’s single market and some checks are now made on some products arriving from the rest of the UK. Mr Sefcovic and Mr Coveney will discuss the issue with the influential group of Congress members, which played a key role in securing US support for the peace process. Their intervention will be seen as a move to convince Washington to crack down on the UK in upcoming trade talks unless Downing Street drops its plans for Northern Ireland.