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Updated 35 minutes ago
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has criticized the UK’s “futile” decision to unilaterally extend a grace period granted to UK supermarkets exporting agri-food products to Northern Ireland.
He said it “clearly undermines” previous commitments made last week.
Under the trade agreement the UK and the EU reached on Christmas Eve, decisions on the Northern Ireland Protocol must be made jointly between the two parties.
But the UK said today that it will extend the grace period, which expires April 1, to October 1 this year, a six-month extension.
In a statement tonight, Coveney said: “A unilateral announcement is profoundly useless in building the relationship of trust and partnership that is fundamental to the implementation of the Protocol.”
Coveney has also told Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and the new Cabinet Minister responsible for EU-UK relations David Frost of his “regret that the UK has moved unilateral”.
He said the British government’s decision “clearly undermines” the joint statements issued on February 11 and 24.
I am well aware of the practical challenges that Brexit has caused for businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland and have strongly supported efforts to ensure that issues are addressed within the existing framework of the Protocol.
“This includes with regard to the modest extensions of grace periods to be agreed between the UK and the EU in a spirit of partnership.”
Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič saying that he would speak to Frost tonight to raise the EU’s “strong concerns” about the UK’s decision.
What does the grace period mean
Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, export health certificates are required for agri-food products shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
But out of concern that this additional paperwork and checks would hamper the North’s food supply, major supermarkets were given a grace period to keep shelves stocked.
On February 3, the United Kingdom formally requested the European Commission to extend this grace period, which would exempt the agri-food industry from new controls and procedures, along with other sectors, until January 1, 2023.
But today he announced that he was unilaterally taking the decision to extend it for six months.
The UK statement
A UK government spokesperson for Northern Ireland said today: “For supermarkets and their suppliers, as part of the operational plan that the UK committed to at the UK-EU Joint Committee on 24 February, the The current one for Temporary Agri-Food Movements to Northern Ireland will continue until 1 October. The certification requirements will then be phased in alongside the deployment of the Digital Attendance Scheme.
“In addition, further guidance on parcel movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be provided later this week to provide the additional time needed for traders after 1 April. Guidance will also be established to help address practical problems in the soil related to the movement of plants, seeds, bulbs, vegetables and agricultural machinery ”.
The issue of parcel deliveries from GB to NI was one of the other issues for which the British government had requested an extension of the grace periods, along with the extension of the six-month grace period of the meat ban refrigerated.
A request was also made to extend the adjustment period for medicines to be shipped from the UK to Northern Ireland.
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As it stands, here is the plan for more Brexit checks that the UK still needs to introduce:
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April 1 / October 1: End of a grace period for supermarkets, which will now need health certificates to move agri-food products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Irish carriers crossing the UK to use the land bridge will need them from 1 April. - July 1: End of a six-month grace period for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in chilled meat products, the import of which into the EU is not allowed at all.
- December 31: End of a 12-month adaptation period for British companies to implement the new EU regulation on the flow of medicines to Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald saying that the “lone execution of the British government today was completely unnecessary, totally undermines the work of the Joint Committee and puts it on an immediate collision course with the EU.”
Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond saying: “There will be very serious concerns about this, not with the ends but with the means. Given Brexit [trade agreement] It has not yet been ratified, how will it build trust and allow a positive reestablishment of relationships? “
The British government announced this measure in the middle of a busy day of news for the United Kingdom: the Budget was presented at 12:30 pm in the House of Commons by Chancellor Rishi Sunak; and Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon testified about the Scottish government’s handling of Alex Salmond’s misconduct allegations.
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