Parliament today agreed on three draft laws to implement the political agreement with the UK to address the practical challenges stemming from Brexit in Northern Ireland. This will ensure that moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be much simpler, benefitting both citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from its unique access to the EU Single Market for goods. Safeguards are in place to ensure that such goods stay in Northern Ireland and are not exported to the EU.
Food, seed potatoes and plants for planting and agricultural machinery
The agreement between the EU and UK entails new and simplified rules and procedures when certain agri-food retail goods enter Northern Ireland from Great Britain where the goods are destined for final consumption in Northern Ireland. It was adopted with 619 votes in favour to 2 against and 6 abstentions.
Medicinal products for human use
The new arrangement on medicinal products for human use will ensure that all medicines (generic and novel) will now be permanently available at the same time under the same conditions across the UK in accordance with UK rules and UK authorisation procedures only. It was adopted with 617votes in favour to 3 against and 6 abstentions.
Steel products
Certain steel products subject to tariff rate quotas brought from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will no longer be subject to the 25% tariff linked to EU safeguard measures, to ensure these transfers are economically viable. This new legislation was adopted with 617 votes in favour to 2 against and 3 abstentions.
The texts now also have to be formally endorsed by Council. They will then be published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force three days later.
On 27 February 2023, the European Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) reached a political agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework.
The Windsor Framework, as well as the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, is carried out within the framework of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, which seeks to avoid the establishment of a hard border on the island of Ireland by safeguarding the all-island economy and the Good Friday Agreement. Article 164 of the Withdrawal Agreement provides that the Joint Committee has until the end of 2024 to adopt decisions to correct errors, to address omissions or other deficiencies, or to address situations unforeseen when the Withdrawal Agreement was signed.
