The British government and the European Union have drawn up an action plan during crisis talks to address the issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol. In theory, they agree on this, but they have yet to find practical solutions. Another meeting is scheduled in two weeks.
British minister Michael Gove and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic state that they remain committed to respecting the historic British-Irish Good Friday Agreement (‘never again a hard border’). They will also work with businesses and stores in Northern Ireland to tackle transport problems at the Irish border.
The announcement comes after Sefcovic traveled to London late last week for talks with Gove about tensions between the EU and the UK following London’s exit from the European single market at the end of last year.
To avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the EU and the UK established the Irish Protocol, which is part of the agreement on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. As a result, EU customs checks with Great Britain do not take place at the border between (British) Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but rather in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland.
This means that British transports must be inspected when crossing to Northern Ireland. This also applies to European shipments passing through England by ferry to Ireland.
Customs inspections are carried out upon arrival at ports by British customs officials under EU supervision. However, apparently British exporters and haulers have not yet arranged their paperwork and procedures properly, resulting in transport problems and delays.