London, Jan 31 (EFE).- The United Kingdom government and Northern Ireland’s main unionist party have agreed to remove post-Brexit border controls on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
The UK government published the deal details agreed upon with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
Northern Irish unionists have backed the agreement that ends a two-year power-sharing vacuum triggered by the DUP’s boycott since February 2022 over post-Brexit trade rules.
Key changes in the deal involve an amendment to the Withdrawal Act, ensuring that new European Union (EU) legislation won’t automatically apply in Northern Ireland.
The document comprises three sections: one detailing legal changes and their implications, an annex on the constitutional context, and a second annex on additional measures enhancing Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.
The document consists of three parts: one detailing the legal changes and their impact, an annex on the constitutional context, and a second annex on the additional measures introduced to strengthen Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.
The agreed-upon measures introduce a new trade body, the East-West Council, and mandate that the UK cabinet convene annually in Northern Ireland.
These changes impact the Windsor Framework, agreed upon by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the EU in March 2023, which keeps the region within the EU single market for goods.
The deal aims to streamline controls and bureaucracy for goods moving from Great Britain (Scotland, Wales, and England) to their final destinations within Northern Ireland without further movement.
Approval from the EU-UK Joint Committee, responsible for overseeing the Withdrawal Agreement’s implementation, is required for these changes.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, in an interview with the BBC after the deal’s details were published, acknowledged that while the agreement “is not perfect,” he is “satisfied that, in terms of our core objectives, we have delivered for the people of Northern Ireland.” EFE
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