The European Union and the United Kingdom have agreed on renewed trade agreements around Northern Ireland. This was announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The country has been the biggest pain point in the entire Brexit dossier for years.
After months of tough negotiations, the EU and the UK have now agreed on a solution. British products with Northern Ireland as their final destination are checked less or not at all. The amount of paperwork is also reduced. These British products must be clearly labeled to prevent them from ending up on the European market via the Northern Irish ‘short cut’.
The two sides have also reached an agreement on other topics, such as state aid and the role of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland. The last point in particular has been a sensitive issue for years.
The agreement is necessary because Northern Ireland’s position after Brexit led to frustration on the British side. As a result of Brexit, the country has remained within the European single market, while the rest of the UK has left it. This allows Northern Irish items to enter the EU without customs checks. This prevented the creation of a border between Ireland and Northern Ireland again.
The disadvantage of this is that British products going to Northern Ireland did have to be checked. The rest of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) has left the European internal market. This has created a kind of border between Northern Ireland and the rest.
Although the British themselves came up with this solution, they have wanted to get rid of these agreements for some time. According to the British, they undermine the British internal market. Scottish salmon, for example, can no longer go to Northern Ireland without checks. The EU did not want to get rid of these agreements. This is out of fear that British products would end up on the European market via Northern Ireland.
Krijg een melding bij nieuwe berichten
Deal is first step
The deal between the EU and the UK is seen as an important, but also a first step. It remains to be seen how people in Northern Ireland will react to an agreement, especially among the country’s second party: the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The party has long been opposed to the formation of a new government. The DUP unionists have walked out of the negotiations in protest at the trade situation. The Northern Ireland board must consist of both unionists and republicans, so there is currently no government. The DUP announced on Monday that it would like to see the deal before giving an opinion.
There is also the question of how the Conservative Party of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak views the deal. The eurosceptic corner of the party has often interfered with this process, although that group is now smaller and less influential. They will only support the deal if the DUP agrees.
Potential opponents will focus in particular on the role of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland. The role of the Court in Northern Ireland has long been a thorn in their side: the DUP no longer wants EU control in Northern Ireland in any form whatsoever.
