Trade groups welcome Northern Ireland agreement

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Logistics UK have both welcomed the deal reached between the UK government and the European Union earlier this week on the Northern Ireland Protocol, as industry representatives and politicians alike get to grips with the detail of the agreement.

The so-called Windsor Framework that has been agreed by the UK and EU negotiation teams aims to resolve the current myriad problems for the logistics sector surrounding the transport of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, caused by the UK’s exit from the European Union.

The new agreement is said to reduce the proportion of EU rules applied in Northern Ireland to less than three per cent.

Under the agreement, goods from Great Britain destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new ‘green lane’, while a separate ‘red lane’ will be for goods subsequently destined for the EU.

It is expected that there will be significant reductions in checks and paperwork for green lane traffic, though these would not be eliminated altogether, the RHA said, particularly where smuggling is suspected. Red lane goods travelling to the EU, including Ireland, would still be subject to the usual checks.

Companies moving products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain should not have to fill in customs declarations, meanwhile; and there will be new data sharing and labelling procedures.

In addition, parcels will not be subject to full customs declarations, and there will be changes around VAT for some items. Bans on the movement of certain products such as chilled sausages moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be lifted, as will bans on seed potatoes and certain native British trees.

“Our priority has always been easing the bureaucratic burden on the movement of goods, and over the last two years we have spearheaded the views of the logistics industry on the need for solutions that address members’ concerns,” said RHA.

“We will be working through the technical details with our members and wider industry to understand how the agreement will work in practice, and to canvas their views on its effectiveness in reducing the cost and complexity of moving goods.

“We will be able to comment further following consultation with our membership.”

Meanwhile Logistics UK’s head of trade and devolved policy, Nichola Mallon, said: “Logistics UK has remained at the forefront of discussions surrounding the NI Protocol, regularly meeting with senior political figures and EU representatives.

“During these discussions, Logistics UK has consistently reinforced the importance of an agreed, durable outcome between the UK and EU on the NI Protocol in relation to securing the stability and predictability businesses need. Today’s announcement that an agreement has been reached is therefore positive news for industry, and Logistics UK will now take time to work through the technical details with members.”