Businesses in need of clarity now as Brexit speeds down tracks: O’neill
Stormont is also facing ‘significant challenges’ to be ready by January 1
BUSINESSES and officials need “urgent clarity” as they prepare for Brexit, the Deputy First Minister has warned.
Michelle O’neill said Stormont departments were facing “significant challenges’ in readying themselves for the departure and added she did not want to see disruption to any local businesses, including those trading with Britain.
Mrs O’neill said that Stormont would continue its “operational readiness plan” in preparation for Brexit.
She added: “The key challenge is the urgent clarity needed to implement the protocol.
“It is clear that time is running out and it appears that things are edging closer. It is about time that businesses had this clarity.”
She said she hoped that clarity would come this week and predicted a future “legislative burden” on MLAS.
Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said the two main sticking points in the negotiations remain level playing field trading arrangements and fishing rights.
He said he believes a deal can still be done, but that it is time to stop the “blame game”.
“The British Government was offered a much longer transition period, and they turned it down, yet they’re now blaming the EU for it — that’s just ridiculous,” Mr Coveney told BBC Radio Ulster.
He added: “I do think a deal is possible, but it needs to be finalised this week if possible, because we really are running out of time in terms of ratification and preparation.
“But I think a deal is possible because the consequences of no deal are so costly and so disruptive, particularly for the UK and for Northern Ireland, but for the Republic of Ireland as well. So I think there’s a big incentive to get a deal done.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged a round-the-clock unit will watch out for problems at the UK’S border as new trading arrangements with the European Union take effect.
The Border Operations Centre will use experts and cutting-edge software to help cope with the disruption expected once the UK leaves the single market and customs union on January 1. It is not yet clear how it will monitor the Irish border.
The UK hopes to have the “world’s most effective border” by 2025, but concerns have been raised about the current system’s ability to cope with Brexit.
Cabinet Officer Minister Michael Gove said: “At the end of the year we will take back control of our borders and that’s why we have set up the new Border Operations Centre to monitor and analyse flows of goods and people into the UK in real time.
“This will help us tackle challenges quickly and decisively, and give us increased informa
tion which will make us safer and more secure.”
At the heart of the new operation will be the Border Flow Service software that gathers information about the flow of goods and passengers.
Elsewhere, Angela Merkel has said the failure to reach a trade deal would reflect badly on both the UK and EU.
The German leader said an agreement is in the interests of all parties in the talks, but warned that it could not come “at any price”.
Mrs Merkel told MEPS: “I hope that we will still come to a contractual solution.
“We, Britain and the member states of the European Union are countries that are based on the same values and it would not be a good example for the world if we didn’t in the end manage to craft an agreement.”
EU negotiator Michel Barnier said there were “reasons for determination” as he set off from his hotel for yesterday’s trade talks. Downing Street said the UK’S negotiating position would not be changed despite calls for a compromise.