Policy & Compliance
Safeguarding the Union How will the new deal affect trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland? “ The government has identi fi ed a new package of proposals
T he Windsor Framework, which was announced in February 2023 and came into effect in October 2023, delivered a number of signi fi cant changes to the original NI Protocol in an attempt to address many of the practical and political concerns raised by traders and politicians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Windsor Framework introduced the concepts of ‘green’ and ‘red’ lanes for goods for the UK internal market system, which were developed in order to ease some of the burden related to moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Building further on the Windsor Framework, and in an attempt to restore a devolved government in Stormont, the UK government has consulted with Northern Irish political parties and the business community. They have identified a new package of proposals that look to fully protect Northern Ireland and its place in the Union.
On 31 January, the details of the proposed deal were published by the UK government in a Command Paper entitled ‘Safeguarding the Union’, paving the way for the re-instatement of the Northern Ireland Assembly last month. Signi fi cant changes Some of the significant changes that will be implemented by the new devolution deal (QR code: Item 1 – new devolution deal) and impacting the movement of goods and the UK’s internal market are listed below: • A new legal duty for ministers, when introducing primary legislation, to consider whether it would affect trade between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK because it would diverge from EU rules as applicable in Northern Ireland; • New legislation (QR code: Item 2 – Windsor
that look to fully protect Northern Ireland and its place in the Union
12 | March 2024
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