EU countries agree new deals on Northern Ireland

The European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU, and Britain’s new Sunak government signed a new deal on Northern Ireland three weeks ago. In retrospect, the UK government could not live with previous agreements, which were intended to prevent the UK’s departure from the EU from reducing the physical border between EU country Ireland and Northern Ireland British. This effectively created an ‘internal’ border between the UK and Northern Ireland, London complained.

If the British Parliament also accepts the so-called Windsor framework, British goods destined for Northern Ireland will in future escape border controls. There will also be more room for different VAT rates and excise duties in Northern Ireland than in the EU. And the Northern Irish have more of a say.

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Some of the new agreements require changes to EU law. This applies, for example, to the import and export of medicines and fresh foodstuffs, animals and plants.

Minister Wopke Hoekstra and other European affairs ministers from EU member states “look forward to the swift and honest implementation” of the agreements, their Swedish president said. They “stand in solidarity with the European Commission in their support for the agreed solutions”.

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After the UK decided to leave the EU, many British politicians speculated that EU countries would not be able to keep ranks tight and that the British could take advantage of this. Reason for EU member states to do everything possible to prevent this. From the outset, they categorically leave the management to the European Commission.

The British House of Commons will vote on the Windsor framework on Wednesday.