Progress is being made in talks over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol but difficulties remain, the EU's chief negotiator has said.
European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said Brussels would "spare no effort" to reach a settlement with the UK on the Irish Sea trading arrangements.
It follows reports of a "breakthrough" in negotiations in which the European Union will accept a UK proposal for red and green lanes at Northern Ireland's ports.
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The model would mean checks on goods arriving from Great Britain would be focused on products moving onwards across the border into the Irish Republic and the rest of the EU.
It would cover both animal health and food safety issues as well as customs formalities, a senior EU source told RTÉ.
But the official said key gaps remained on issues such as the role of the European Court of Justice in adjudicating single market issues in Northern Ireland.
Asked about the reports, Mr Sefcovic said: "We've been proposing so-called express lanes for the goods which are to stay in Northern Ireland which have no risk at making it to the EU single market.
"We do not insist on the precise names, we just want to make sure that the system would work."
He told reporters that talks were taking place in a "very cordial atmosphere", the Irish Times reported.
He said "progress is being made but difficulties remain", and the more "safeguards" that can be established for the EU single market, "the more flexibility we can explore".
The UK government has been proposing a red and green-lane system, with the green lane for goods from Great Britain staying in Northern Ireland and the red lane to check goods going onwards to the Irish Republic.
A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment on the latest reports.
He added: "There is still significant work to be done and there will be further talks this week across all areas."
DUP MP Ian Paisley, whose party has been blocking Stormont power-sharing in protest against the protocol, said it "must be replaced with arrangements that unionists can support".
He told the BBC's Nolan Show that the role of the ECJ in the protocol also needs to be addressed in any deal.
The North Antrim MP said: "If you look at our seven tests on the issue of unaccountable structures over Northern Ireland, we can't have a court that we have no say in and no control over being the final arbiter in our affairs in Northern Ireland. That would just be quite frankly wrong."
TUV leader Jim Allister said red and green lanes would "confirm and solidify the Irish Sea border".
He added: "But the protocol is about more than the movement of goods. A key part of its sovereignty grab lies in the imposition of EU law on Northern Ireland. Unless the sovereignty issue is addressed, everything else is meaningless."
Sinn Féin's Brexit spokesperson Declan Kearney said the latest reports were "very encouraging".
He said: "We are hopefully approaching a point of pragmatic accommodation.
"In these circumstances the DUP has absolutely no justification for its continued blocking of our political institutions.
"The Assembly should be restored immediately to allow all our local politicians to address the key challenges facing public services, and while the British government and European Commission focus on concluding their talks."
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