Northern Ireland remains in
the United Kingdom’s customs territory but all EU procedures will apply to
goods arriving there in this complex system. There will be no customs checks on
the island of Ireland – they will be done in ports.
European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson shake
hands during a news conference after agreeing on the Brexit deal, at the
sidelines of the European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium 17 October
The European Union has
agreed a new Brexit deal with Britain. Here are the initial details.
For goods crossing from
Great Britain to Northern Ireland that are deemed to be staying there, no EU
tariff will apply.
No EU tariffs would be paid
on personal goods carried by travellers across the Irish frontier and for a
second category of exempted goods that can only be for immediate consumption
rather than subsequent processing.
An EU-UK body called the
Joint Committee will define this second group of goods more precisely after
Brexit.
The UK will be allowed to
reimburse excise duties for companies in Northern Ireland as long as it does
not undercut EU state aid rules.
Northern Ireland will be
able to benefit from future UK trade deals around the world. As long as the
goods do not cross to Ireland and the EU’s single market, only UK customs
tariffs will apply.
CONSENT
The Northern Irish assembly
will have to give consent after Brexit for the region’s continued alignment
with the EU regulatory regime.
Four years after Brexit,
the assembly will have to decide by simple majority of those taking part in the
vote whether to apply it. If the vote is positive, the system is extended for
another four years.
If another vote then is
positive with cross-community support, the system is extended by another eight
years until another vote.
If consent is not granted,
there is a two-year cooling off period during which sides need to find a new
solution to prevent the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
If the regional assembly
does not sit or vote, the system continues as the default position.
Unlike the “backstop”
solution in the original deal, rejected by the British parliament, this system
would not be replaced by a new free-trade deal between Britain and the EU. That
marks a big concession from the EU side.
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