While negotiations continue with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Government has decided to defer new controls for goods that move from Ireland to Great Britain.
Beginning January 1, checks will be applied to incoming goods into the European Union, which primarily covers food and agriculture products. They bring post-Brexit customs arrangements for the bloc in line the ones with the rest.
Brexit Minister Lord Frost stated that the current arrangements for goods crossing into the Irish Sea would be maintained on a temporary basis while negotiations on the protocol continue.
“The Government considers that this pragmatic act can help keep space for continuing negotiations on the protocol,” Lord Frost declared in a written ministerial declaration.
“It also assures that trader in Ireland and Northern Ireland do not face further uncertainty as the protocols arrangements remain under review.”
Brexit Minister Lord Frost indicated that existing arrangements will continue temporarily for goods crossing the Irish Sea until further discussions are completed on the protocol.
Leo Varadkar was Ireland’s vice prime minister and welcomed the delays as good news to Irish farmers, exporters, and traders.
The Government seeks major modifications to the protocol, which governs the movement of goods between Great Britain and North Ireland. They argue that the required checks are detrimental to business and fuel tensions in the community.
Although Britain left the EU single market in 2021, it twice delayed some post-Brexit import restrictions. January 1 will see the full implementation of customs controls and declarations.
The EU and Britain are continuing to discuss ways of resolving problems with trade arrangements. This is known as the Northern Ireland Protocol for British territory that has a border with Ireland.
Leo Varadkar of Ireland, the deputy prime minister, praised the delay for being good news to farmers and exporters. Jeffrey Donaldson of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, which is the largest pro-British political party in the country, disagreed.
While he said that there were some restrictions on the import of goods from Britain into Northern Ireland which could harm British businesses, he indicated that the doors for Irish companies had been opened.
“Time to sort the Irish Sea Border between GB & NI,” he said on Twitter.