‘EU measures rules risk creating a border in Irish Sea’

THE Northern Ireland Protocol must allow pounds and ounces to be used in the province to prevent a “two-speed UK”, senior Conservative Brexiteers have warned in the lead-up to talks with the European Union over the treaty.

After Brexit, the Government ordered a review of inherited EU rules and the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR) completed a report calling for EU measurement rules to be repealed.

However, under the terms of the deal designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, Northern Irish shops and stalls are required to display their wares in grams and kilograms.

The Northern Ireland Protocol thus means that the province follows some EU rules, including on measurements, effectively creating a border with Britain in the Irish Sea.

Lord Frost will begin negotiations with Brussels tomorrow over the treaty, which grants Northern Ireland access to the single market but the UK argues disrupts trade with Britain.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, put Lord Frost under pressure to secure changes that would prevent a “two-speed UK”. The EU weights and measures directive, which requires metric measurements to be used for the sale of fresh produce, became law in the UK in 2000.

Warwick Cairns, of advocacy group the British Weights and Measures Association, said: “We can see why the EU would want to insist on goods exported from Britain to the EU following their labelling rules. But when it comes to how people buy, sell and measure goods within the UK, we can’t see how it affects them or why they would expect to set the rules.”

Sir Iain, one of the authors of the TIGRR report, said, “All of the things we do… on the GB side must also be relevant to those who live in the United Kingdom on the Northern Ireland side. The TIGRR report is aimed at the whole of the United Kingdom, not just GB. I made that point… to Lord Frost.”

Meanwhile, Northern Irish farmers will be unable to benefit from British plans to introduce gene-editing in crops, because it is effectively banned in the EU and treated as genetically modified food. A more risk-based approach for chemicals regulation, nutraceutical supplements and animal feed nutrients would also be impossible, under the terms of the treaty signed in 2019. TVS, fridges and dishwashers in Northern Ireland bear the EU flag rather than the UK one on their energy efficiency labels, which are otherwise identical being part of the Single Market.

Lord Frost will demand Brussels allow the return of free movement of British pets in Northern Ireland, which is limited because the province follows EU animal health rules.

The European Commission has offered to dramatically reduce Irish Sea border checks but nothing to curb onerous and expensive travel of dogs, cats and other pets such as ferrets.