EU 'to remove up to 50% of custom checks' in bid to resolve Northern Ireland Protocol row

The UK has argued the rules under the protocol have imposed too many barriers. Credit: PA

The EU will later set out a range of proposals, including removing up to half of custom checks, in a bid to resolve the political stand-off over trade in Northern Ireland.

UK ministers have argued the current rules, imposed under the Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol, pose too many barriers on the sale of agri-food goods, chilled meats and medicines.

It is understood the EU will offer to remove up to 50% of customs checks on British goods entering Northern Ireland and that more than half the checks on meat and plants entering Northern Ireland would be ditched, according to reports.

European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic has promised the measures will be “very far-reaching” and address issues over the movement of such products across the Irish Sea.

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An EU official told the Telegraph: “Brussels is going to allow more goods to pass into Northern Ireland without checks in return for having more data to do proper market surveillance.

“The number of checks will go down massively. This is the best way to cut checks, short of a Swiss-style alignment agreement.”

Mr Sefcovic has also pledged to offer more of a voice for politicians and civic society in Northern Ireland on how the contentious trading arrangements operate.

While the measures may potentially go some way to reducing everyday friction on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, they are unlikely to satisfy a UK Government demand over the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

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Ministers argue the sale of chilled meats like sausages have become too difficult since Brexit Credit: PA

On Tuesday, UK Brexit negotiator Lord Frost made clear the removal of the ECJ’s oversight function in relation to the protocol was a red line for the Government.

Under the terms of the deal struck by the UK and EU in 2019, the ECJ would be the final arbitrator in any future trade dispute between the two parties on the operation of the protocol.

The UK now wants to remove that provision and replace it with an independent arbitration process.

Mr Sefcovic has insisted that the EU will not move on the ECJ issue.

European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic has promised far-reaching proposals Credit: Brian Lawless/PA

He has pointed out that Northern Ireland would be unable to retain single market access – a key provision of the protocol – if the arrangement was not subject to oversight by European judges.

It is anticipated that the EU proposals, along with a wish list of reforms outlined by the Government in July, will form the basis of a new round of negotiations between Brussels and London in the weeks ahead.

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as a way to sidestep the major obstacle in the Brexit divorce talks – the Irish land border.

It achieved that by shifting regulatory and customs checks and processes to the Irish Sea.

The arrangements have created new economic barriers on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

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UK Brexit minister Lord Frost has demanded the removal of the ECJ’s oversight role in the NI Protocol Credit: Peter Byrne/PA

This has caused disruption to many businesses in Northern Ireland and also created a major political headache for the government, as unionists are furious at what they perceive as a weakening of the Union.

However, other businesses have benefited from the terms of the protocol, which provides Northern Ireland traders unique unfettered access to sell within the UK internal market and EU single market.

One way the EU could potentially reduce red tape on the movement of agri-food goods between GB and NI would be to sanction a system that only applied checks to shipments at risk of onward movement into the Irish Republic.

Under such a system, a trusted trade scheme could allow retailers to declare that the final destination for goods being shipped from Great Britain was Northern Ireland.

Mr Sefcovic has already signalled that the EU is willing to change legislation to ensure no disruption of medical supplies into Northern Ireland.

Under the original terms of the protocol, the region was to fall within the EU regulatory zone for medicines from 2022 – a move that would have restricted the ability to import products from Great Britain.

But Mr Sefcovic has indicated that movement on ECJ oversight of the protocol should not be expected when he outlines the proposals later on Wednesday.

Addressing a virtual event in Dublin last week, he said: “If we are talking about the constructive solutions to the practical problems, I think that doing away with the European Court of Justice is not one of them.”

One Month on the Shankill: Watch an extended eyewitness report as ITV News gained access to the Shankill Road loyalist community earlier this year following violence, as tensions rose over the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol.