Brexit: EU ready to ease customs protocol for Northern Ireland

Transport trucks in the port of Larne in Northern Ireland on February 2, 2021 (illustrative image).

AP - Peter Morrison

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

On Tuesday, the UK asked to renegotiate this customs protocol with Northern Ireland, and the European Commission proposed relief, not reform.

The EU therefore refuses to renegotiate the protocol, but the Commissioner in charge of the British dossier, Maroš Šefčovič, presents what he calls an “ 

alternative implementation model 

”.

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With our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Bénazet

Since the UK left the EU nine and a half months ago, the Northern Ireland puzzle "protocol" has become a

casus belli

between London and Brussels.

So much so that the tensions arising from the implementation of customs controls between Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been dubbed the "sausage war", because English sausages can no longer arrive in Northern Ireland without being frozen.

For the European Commission, the protocol negotiated for more than three years for Northern Ireland can perfectly remain in place, with adjustments which represent real concessions on its part.

This is first of all the case of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, everything concerning plants and animal products.

EU proposes to lift 80% of customs formalities

The European Union, for example, is ready to agree to waive its own rules for the importation of unfrozen meat if products coming from the United Kingdom remain exclusively in Northern Ireland.

Among other things, this would allow Cumberland sausages to return to the shelves of North Irish butchers.

Second, drug wholesalers in Great Britain would also be allowed to export to Northern Ireland.

Overall, the Commission is proposing to lift up to 80% of customs formalities if the UK government complies with its obligations of setting up customs posts and exchanging customs information in real time.

► See also: London openly threatens to withdraw from the Northern Irish protocol

The Union is willing to grant derogations so that certain products can come from Great Britain and it is willing to extend the list of these products by exempting them from customs duties.

But she wants assurances that these products will stay in Northern Ireland.

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  • UK

  • Brexit

  • North Ireland

  • European Union