Irish Sea trade deal done after UK drops plan to ignore law
Details awaited after London and Brussels agree on border posts and checks on goods
BUSINESSES say they need more detail of a new UK-EU deal on trade flow to Northern Ireland from across the Irish Sea — which includes measures to safeguard the supply of goods onto supermarket shelves here.
And they say an implementation period will still be needed following the end of the transition period in 22 days time.
They said they hope the accord between UK Minister Michael Gove and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic could now help push momentum towards a UK-EU free trade agreement.
Cabinet office minister Mr Gove is to give more details in the House of Commons today.
The breakthrough came after the UK agreed to withdraw controversial elements of the Internal Markets Bill which could have seen the divorce deal torn up and the UK break international law.
It could have allowed ministers to override the UK’S EU Withdrawal Agreement as it contained measures relating to the way trade will be done between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Mr Gove and Mr Sefcovic said they have agreement in principle on areas such as border control posts for checks on animals, plants, export declarations, chilled meats and other food products from Great Britain destined for our supermarket shelves.
They head the Joint Committee set up to work out the practicalities of the NI Protocol. It had effectively created a border in the Irish Sea with the potential to hamper trade between NI and Great Britain.
First Minister Arlene Foster said: “We await to see the detail. For us the important issue on all of these matters is that we have unfettered access from NI into GB, but also that trade from GB into NI can trade freely as well, so we await to see what has happened in relation to those matters.”
Aodhan Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, welcomed the deal but said that “we still need the conclusion of a free trade agreement to remove customs frictions, and with three weeks left to go we still will need an implementation period to allow us to comply with the new requirements”.
But he said the deal was a “good portent” of a will to conclude a trading agreement.
Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said the agreement was “welcome progress” which would hopefully improve the chances of a free trade agreement.
Paul Lynam of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce said it showed “a deal can be done when there is political will and determination to achieve one”.
Alliance Party MP Stephen Farry said the deal was an “encouraging development”.
But he added: “We are continuing to advocate for a grace or adjustment period with respect to how the protocol is implemented, as it is now too late for businesses to be ready for January 1.”
Foyle MP and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the agreement was of even more importance to business in Northern Ireland than the eventual terms of any trade deal.
“We now need to see the hard detail,” he said.
CBI NI director Angela McGowan said the news was positive, but “with time so short, details are needed now on what has been agreed so businesses can continue with their preparations — which also rest on a deal being done”.
Stena Line’s Brexit spokesperson Ian Hampton said many unanswered questions remained and the systems and infrastructure for customs checks will not be ready in time.
“With many companies in the supply chain still not ready we believe a further ‘ implementation phase’ is required by both the UK and the EU,” he added.