The question of the best way to resolve trading arrangements and satisfy the various political parties in Belfast has been a key sticking point of the bitter Brexit fallout. The issue was catered for by the Northern Ireland Protocol,which was struck by former prime minister and Vote Leave proponent Boris Johnson.
Under the new Windsor Framework,the UK has secured green and red lanes for goods arriving by port,allowing products like plants,medicines and groceries destined only for Northern Ireland to travel across the border with no certification or customs forms required.
“Goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new green lane,with a separate red lane for goods at risk of moving onto the EU. In the green lane,burdensome customs bureaucracy will be scrapped,” Britain Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
Goods at risk of export to Ireland and the wider EU will go through the red lane. People in Great Britain,sending gifts to their relatives and friends in Northern Ireland will no longer have to fill out customs forms.
And to address the issue of the European Court of Justice having jurisdiction over Northern Ireland,a part of the UK and a totemic issue for Brexiteers,the Northern Ireland Assembly will be given a new power or brake allowing it to stop any EU rule changes from applying in Northern Ireland if it can cause significant harm. The UK will have veto.
Announcing the changes at Windsor,Sunak and EU President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a significant breakthrough and a “new chapter” in their relationship.