Northern Ireland – The Windsor Framework

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed a new agreement is in place with the EU, for a new model under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

While the ‘Windsor Framework’ has been agreed, it is yet to be formally passed through UK Parliament and a European Commision vote, after which we could see this start to roll out by the end of the year.

The principle of the agreement is to improve the flow of goods travelling between the UK and Northern Ireland. The current arrangements have been a hot topic of debate and received widespread criticism.

The key points of the agreement include:

• Goods from Britain destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new “green lane”, with a separate “red lane” for goods at risk of moving on to the EU.
• Products coming into Northern Ireland through the green lane will see checks and paperwork significantly reduced, while red lane goods will still be subject to normal checks.
• A “Stormont brake” allows the Northern Ireland Assembly to raise an objection to “significantly different” new EU rules which would apply in Northern Ireland.
• Northern Ireland would also no longer have to follow certain EU rules, for example on VAT and excise for some drinks and goods.

Atlantic Pacific will continue to bring you updates of any major developments.