The UK government is set to confirm that the Irish Sea border, which involves checks and controls on food and agricultural products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, will remain in place until 2027. This sea border was established as part of the post-Brexit framework and includes provisions that affect the movement of goods.
In May 2023, the UK and the EU reached an outline agreement aimed at eliminating physical checks on food products from Great Britain arriving at Northern Irish ports. While the timeline for this implementation has been uncertain, relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds is scheduled to provide an update later. It is anticipated that further negotiations with the EU will take place in autumn, potentially leading to UK legislation in 2026 and implementation in 2027.
The outline deal requires the UK to harmonize with EU regulations regarding agri-food, thereby re-establishing a consistent set of rules for Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This alignment should streamline the shipping process of food products, which has been complicated since the checks were introduced in 2021. The agreement is also expected to extend to horticultural products, including seeds and garden plants.
The current arrangements for Northern Ireland emerged from a Brexit deal finalized in 2019 and revised in 2023, known as the Windsor Framework. This framework sought to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by having Northern Ireland adhere to many EU regulations for goods. Consequently, products entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are subject to checks to ensure compliance with EU laws, resulting in what is referred to as the Irish Sea border. This has notably affected the food industry, as Northern Irish supermarkets predominantly rely on supplies from England and Scotland. New border control posts have been established at ports to oversee checks on these goods; however, customs paperwork will still be required despite the planned reduction in regulatory differences.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgj9ly7pdmo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss