More clarity needed on end of Brexit transition period

By Q Radio News and PA.

Businesses in Northern Ireland have called on the Government to flesh out the detail on post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group has penned a report outlining concerns and takeaways from the Government's proposals for operating the Northern Ireland protocol.

The protocol contained in the Withdrawal Treaty is the arrangement by which Northern Ireland continues to follow single market rules for goods and administers the EU's customs code at its ports.

The Government has acknowledged that regulatory checks will be needed on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, with the expansion of infrastructure to carry out screening of animals and food products.

But the Government has insisted there will be no new physical customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

The working group said more details were needed to help businesses prepare for the scheduled end of the transition period at the end of 2020.

Its report poses more than 60 questions that business wants answered as soon as possible on areas including VAT, labour, customs and business engagement.

NIBBWG convenor Aodhan Connolly, from the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said recent meetings with politicians at home, in Great Britain and in the EU had proved useful.

Aodhan Connolly

But he added: "Given the impending ending of the transition period in six months and the level of preparations that will need to be made we must be able to voice our concerns with the Westminster Government and our political leaders in the Executive.

"We said in January to have everything in place that business needs to trade successfully will be a Herculean task and it has only gotten harder since then. We need the government officials in Whitehall to sit down and talk with our technical experts to ensure that solutions work.

"If we get this wrong this is not just an economic issue for business but a standard of life issue for households across Northern Ireland.

"We desperately need technical detail from the UK Government. We also need a generosity of spirit from the EU to allows derogations to facilitate mitigations. This is going to take movement from both side to make this work.

"We have proven ourselves willing and able to work with the UK Government and the EU on tangible meaningful solutions over the past three years and with the crunch time approaching, we are committed to play our part but we need both sides to work with us."

Similar fears surrounding Brexit have almost been raised following an Agriculture Committee in which border check processes were dicusses.

A senior official at the committee has warned that there are just three weeks to finalise plans for post Brexit checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Measures must be in place to carry out checks on goods moving between the region and Great Britain after the UK leaves the EU to comply with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Northern Ireland's chief vet Robert Huey told Stormont's agriculture committee that in order to secure approvals for border check processes by the end of the transition period, the application needs to be completed by June 24, 2020.

He told MLAs he wanted to set expectations, adding that "a smooth end to transition is no longer possible - that can't be delivered".

"Let's start with that realisation. What we are trying to deliver is a minimal viable product to keep product moving, to keep food on shelves on January 1, 2021 - that's how serious it is," he said.

Robert Huey

"The last date to go to the European Commission to expect them to do the work they need to do to designate border control posts was March 31, but they've given us an extension through to the end of June. That work has to be done in effect by June 23/24."

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Permanent Secretary Denis McMahon told MLAs there are around 200 lorries entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain every day.

He explained officials are working on plans to extend current facilities at ports into EU approved border control posts.

Dr McMahon said officials have met with Larne, Belfast, Warrenpoint, Foyle sea ports and the two main airports, and are working seven days a week on the application.

"We have a lot of work to do and a very short amount of time to do it in," he said.

He said a paper was published by the UK government on May 20 was the first "clear mandate" and "clarity of the UK government's position".

"We're now moving from information gathering to active delivery planning in anticipation we will need to move quickly," he said.

Dr McMahon said officials need support from both the UK Government and EU to "make this work".

"The UK Government has confirmed it will provide the Northern Ireland Executive with support and expertise to deliver the project but this is not the only support we need," he said.

"Importantly the success of this project is not entirely within our control. We will need the help of both the UK Government and the EU to make this work, and they will need to help us work through these issues over the coming weeks and months.

Dr McMahon

"Basically the simpler the processes while maintaining biosecurity, promoting public health and complying with the law, the more likely we will be able to succeed in our aim of reducing trade friction."

Dr McMahon said 60% of UK food imports are from the EU and 70% of the retail food supply to Northern Ireland comes from Great Britain, adding "to put it bluntly, we all need to make this work".