Officials in Brussels have denied new claims of a compromise agreement regarding the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the Northern Ireland Protocol.
It comes after a report from The Times.
According to the report, negotiators decided that the ECJ could only decide a case if it was referred by the courts of Northern Ireland.
Two individuals with direct knowledge of the talks have either strongly disagreed with the report or have labeled it as London-based "kite-flying.".
A general agreement still faces "challenges," according to statements made to the BBC by the UK and the EU.
Uncertainty surrounds the precise time frame for a deal's conclusion, but one official claimed that talks were in the proverbial "tunnel.".
This phrase is used when negotiations are at a turning point and a deal is anticipated.
The BBC reported that the most progress had been made on customs, and that both sides were moving closer to a broad "framework" agreement.
Negotiations are said to be "bottom up," which means that officials are being given the freedom to scout out ideas that can then be passed up the chain. These negotiations have become more intense in recent weeks.
The UK had suggested "supplementing" the ECJ with a separate arbitration panel, according to a January Bloomberg report.
Britain initially demanded that the ECJ's oversight role be eliminated, but later indicated that it might be willing to accept a more disinterested arrangement.
Regardless, any compromise of that nature would involve a sizable UK concession in addition to an EU concession.
Due to the NI Protocol, trade can continue to cross the land border without additional paperwork or inspections because Northern Ireland is kept within the EU's single market for goods.
It also means that goods coming from Great Britain into Northern Ireland will now be subject to additional checks and controls.
Unionists in Northern Ireland disagree with this and it has made things difficult for some businesses.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the largest unionist group, is blocking the formation of a government in Northern Ireland as a show of disapproval.
The protocol should remain, according to the majority of the members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in May 2022.
Both the UK and the EU concur that the protocol as originally agreed is too challenging in practice.
