‘Hard to see how soft border would work’ - IFA
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has reacted positively to the UK’s calls for no hard border between the Republic and the North – but added that it’s difficult to see how this would work in practice.
This week’s UK Brexit Position Paper called for no check points or any other physical infrastructure on the border the principle. But IFA President Joe Healy said it is hard to envision how this would work given that the UK intends to operate its customs and trade policies independently from the European Union (EU).
Mr Healy welcomed that the paper recognised that the agrifood sector on both sides of the border is highly integrated, and the paper also said it was important to limit damage to the sector.
However, the IFA President is unsure of how this would be achieved through the suggestions put forward by the UK.
“If the UK insists on pursuing its own free trade agreements, two divergent regimes would have to operate on the island and it is impossible to see how border checks could be avoided,” he said.
“The UK will have to compromise on its future trade ambitions with third countries in the area of agricultural and food products. The UK’s insistence on leaving the customs union and pursuing an independent trade policy amounts to a hard Brexit and would be very negative for Irish agriculture and the value of our agri-food exports.
“The first option the UK put forward – the reinstatement of a ‘ highly streamlined customs arrangement’ – would see the reinstatement of a customs border between the EU and UK.
“This is a very retrograde development for trade on the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain after 45 years of EEC/EU integration.
“The second option – a ‘customs partnership’ between the EU and UK – is simply not an acceptable outcome as the UK would still be committed to pursuing their own trade policy for imports into the UK.”
Mr Healy has called for a balanced Free Trade Agreement between the UK and EU that would include tariff-free trade of agri-products and food; a Common External Tariff for agricultural and food imports to both the EU and UK; and maintenance of standards on food safety, animal health,