Britain and EU reach customs deal to end row over Northern Ireland

The UK and the European Union have reached a customs deal that could end years of wrangling over trade in Northern Ireland.

The EU has agreed to a proposal that would avoid the need for routine checks on products destined for Northern Ireland, The temperature reported.

The proposed customs deal, which comes exactly three years to the day since the UK officially left the EU, would end the post-Brexit stalemate. It would also end the much-contested Northern Ireland Protocol which came into force in January 2021.

Brussels has also agreed that European courts will only rule on Northern Ireland issues if first brought before the courts of the province.

The two sides are continuing to work out specific details of an agreement on veterinary checks, the Times said.

He also reported that part of the customs deal was due to be announced earlier this year but was pulled at the last minute. A source said it was because the EU was concerned that Rishi Sunak could not sell the deal to some members of his party, nor to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Another source suggested the prime minister held back as he was in favor of announcing the full deal.

Three years after Britain officially left the EU, the two sides have been discussing how to implement post-Brexit deals on the wide-open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, state EU member.

Regarding the practicality of the proposed agreement, it is believed that there will be red and green lanes. Goods ending their journey in Northern Ireland will be moved without routine checks, while goods bound for the Republic of Ireland via Northern Ireland will be subject to customs checks.

Freight vehicles are checked on arrival at Larne Port on January 17, 2023 in Larne, Northern Ireland

The EU would have made significant concessions on issues such as the scope of European courts.

The Times reported that a source said: ‘This is a critical issue of sovereignty and it will remain with the UK.

Another said: “The EU has come a long way from where it started. This agreement will not please anyone, but I hope it will satisfy everyone sufficiently.

The UK and the EU will continue to enter into another long-term agreement on issues such as the export of meat, produce and live animals to Northern Ireland.

The Times also quoted a senior UK government source as saying the parameters for a comprehensive deal were in place and it was up to Sunak to decide whether to sign it or not.

After months of tension between London, Brussels, Belfast and Dublin, the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol would end with the proposed deal.

There was ‘strong agreement’ within the government that the dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol should end. A senior government source told The Times: ‘The background music has completely changed as both sides have sought to go as far as possible to compromise to make it work. This hasn’t been the old point score seen in the past. ‘