The Brexit Border Problem: What You Need to Know
The Northern Ireland protocol has been at the center of the UK-EU post-Brexit dispute since its implementation in early 2021, for various reasons. Come check out our article to find out why.
The newly established Northern Ireland protocol is enforcing checks on goods imported into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Since being implemented at the beginning of 2021, the protocol has been at the epicenter of the post-Brexit dispute between the UK and the European Union (EU). In February, Paul Givan, Northern Ireland's first minister as part of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), resigned in protest of the protocol.
The Northern Ireland Protocol: What Is It?
Before Brexit, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were both parts of the EU, meaning that an open border could easily operate between the two as they both followed the same EU trade rules. However, Brexit meant that Northern Ireland, as part of the UK, left the EU. This would have introduced additional checks at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but the Northern Ireland protocol was established as a way around this.
The agreement, which is now part of international law, essentially pushes back the checks, which would have happened at the Irish border, to the border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales).
The solution was established when it was agreed that Northern Ireland could continue to trade as part of the EU, following the EU's single market rules. This meant that checks on goods would now need to take place on goods entering Northern Ireland from the UK, which is no longer part of the single market. The protocol has been criticized for creating a new border in the Irish Sea.
How Is the Northern Ireland Protocol Impacting Trade?
The impact of the Northern Ireland protocol on trade is complex. Some point out that Northern Ireland has now gained an advantage over UK-based businesses for trade with the Republic of Ireland, due to the ease of movement of goods without checks compared to the new legislation slowing down trade from Great Britain into Ireland.
On the other hand, it is strongly argued that the costs of the Northern Ireland protocol are already being felt in Northern Ireland, with the new border in the Irish sea making it more expensive for importers to move goods into the country from Great Britain. In particular, the food industry is reportedly being impacted by the increased bureaucracy facing food imports.
There are many fighting for and against the Northern Ireland protocol, but, at this moment, it is unclear whether any action will be taken to change it.
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