A post-Brexit deal to ease trade with Northern Ireland has been proposed.
by Rory Butler / March 3, 2023
The legal framework between the EU and the UK, called The Windsor Framework, will see a formal vote in the House of Commons (HoC) in the coming weeks.
Let’s review some of the details:
- Goods heading to Northern Ireland (NI) from Britain will go through a “green lane” with significantly less paperwork and checks.
- There will be a separate “red lane” for goods potentially destined for the EU which are still subject to normal checks.
- There will be fresh data-sharing and labelling rules as part of the new system.
- Companies shipping goods to Britain from NI will not need to complete export declarations.
- EU VAT rules (under the Northern Ireland Protocol) could still apply in NI.
What else?
- The NI Assembly can object to a new goods rule via the “Stormont brake”.
- The brake is reserved for ‘significant not trivial’ rules.
- The rule cannot be applied once the brake is triggered.
- EU rules applied in NI are reduced to below 3%.
The European Court of Justice, independent arbitration, and “appropriate remedial measures” will be used for various dispute resolution matters.
MPs are expected to vote on the prime minister’s deal later this month.
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