An upcoming UK-EU summit is poised to facilitate an agreement significantly mitigating the impact of the Irish Sea border.
The UK aims to redefine its post-Brexit relationship with the European Union following years of strained relations.
Monday’s summit is anticipated to yield a preliminary agreement on trade matters, encompassing food and agricultural products.
A comprehensive agri-food deal, potentially finalized later this year, would lessen the need for checks and controls on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
This could eliminate “Not for EU” labeling and most physical goods inspections.
A Belfast food business expressed its urgent need for such a reset, emphasizing the immediate challenges faced by small firms.
BBC News NI initially interviewed Arcadia Deli’s owners in 2020, prior to the Irish Sea border’s implementation. They’ve persistently struggled with the associated processes for GB product sourcing.
Co-owner Laura Graham-Brown cited new sea border regulations on parcels as significantly worsening the situation last month.
“Our English suppliers have suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland pending clarification on simplified procedures,” she stated.
“This impacts our largest distributor, resulting in noticeably depleted stock.”
While welcoming any positive change, she stressed the urgency of the situation.
“Our goal is simply to sell cheese and olives. To maintain adequate stock levels, swift action is required,” she explained.
The agreement’s scope remains uncertain; it wouldn’t entirely eliminate the sea border.
Stuart Anderson of the NI Chamber of Commerce noted businesses will require time to analyze any deal’s specifics.
“NI Chamber has urged the UK government for an ambitious agreement substantially reducing bureaucracy across our agri-food supply chain,” he said.
A Queen’s University Belfast poll reveals declining unionist support for the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland’s current Brexit deal.
Professor David Phinnemore observed a “marked decrease” in already limited unionist support for the Windsor Framework, particularly among those identifying as “slightly unionist.”
Support within that group fell from 51% to 26% over the past year.
Prof. Phinnemore added: “To reverse this trend, a closer UK-EU relationship must alleviate GB-NI trade barriers.”
The Labour government pledged to pursue a new agri-food agreement with the EU, aiming to “eliminate most border checks resulting from the Tory Brexit deal.”
While UK-wide, the deal’s impact would be most significant in Northern Ireland.
This stems from NI’s effective inclusion in the EU’s single market for goods, despite its supermarkets primarily sourcing from the UK.
The Centre for European Reform (CER) deemed an agri-food deal not “economically momentous” for the UK overall, but highlighted NI as a “primary beneficiary.”
It further stated: “The closer UK and EU regulations align, the less the need for border controls on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.”
The Irish Sea border continues to influence Northern Ireland’s politics and economy.
Resulting from a 2019 EU-UK Brexit deal, revised in 2023, it’s now known as the Windsor Framework.
Maintaining an open NI-Republic of Ireland border necessitated NI’s adherence to numerous EU goods regulations.
Consequently, goods from the rest of the UK entering NI undergo checks to ensure EU compliance.
Many nationalists view this as a necessary compromise to minimize Brexit’s impact on the island of Ireland.
Conversely, many unionists consider it a constitutional affront undermining NI’s UK position.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the largest unionist party, blocked NI’s power-sharing government from 2022 to 2024 in protest.
EU agri-food deals fall into two categories: New Zealand-style or Swiss-style.
The EU’s New Zealand deal reflects mutual recognition of high food standards, reducing product and paperwork checks.
However, New Zealand retains its own standards, leading to some EU entry checks.
In contrast, Swiss-EU agri-food trade lacks regulatory border controls.
This stems from Switzerland’s near-complete adherence to EU regulations, with minimal influence over their setting.
Switzerland must adapt its laws to EU legislative changes (dynamic alignment) and accept European Court of Justice oversight.
A Swiss-style deal would effectively end controls on GB food entering NI.
The EU previously offered this to the UK, but the government’s stance remained ambivalent.
Recently, ministers have avoided ruling it out.
Such a deal would likely face opposition from Brexit supporters, fearing a surrender of powers regained after leaving the EU.
The Irish Sea presents two border types.
One concerns product standards—ensuring legal sale. The other covers customs—confirming tariff payments.
An agri-food deal would largely eliminate the standards border, leaving the customs border intact.
GB businesses would still require customs declarations for NI goods, risking delays due to incorrect paperwork.