No lasting solution to Northern Ireland Protocol chilled food issue

Cold Chain Federation chief executive Shane Brennan said: “Three more months of the same standoff is not going to boost trader confidence or make anyone’s lives genuinely easier.  

“This further delay in finding a lasting solution shows just how far the people trying to carry on cross-border business are from being a priority concern for UK and EU negotiators.

“Many GB food businesses have already made the decision to stop supplying into NI, and many others have restructured their supply chains. Northern Ireland is a market that most small English, Welsh and Scottish food producers can’t afford to serve, and today’s announcements won’t change that.   

“Nothing in these words hints at genuine progress towards a workable permanent solution to the barriers to trade between GB and NI. The EU is essentially restating its long held position that this trade should be as difficult as possible, and the UK that there are some magical IT fixes that will make the problems go away. It’s depressing.”

Chilled meats from Great Britain, such as sausages, which would otherwise be prohibited in Northern Ireland, will continue to move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the UK and the EU agreed to extend the grace period allowing this until 30 September, the Cabinet Office confirmed.

Cabinet Minister Lord Frost said: “We are pleased we have been able to agree a sensible extension on chilled meats moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland – one that does not require rules in the rest of the UK to align with future changes in EU agrifood rules.

“This is a positive first step but we still need to agree a permanent solution – Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and its consumers should be able to enjoy products they have bought from Great Britain for years.

“This is a very clear sign that the Protocol has to be operated in a pragmatic and proportionate way. The chilled meats issue is only one of a very large number of problems with the way the Protocol is currently operating, and solutions need to be found with the EU to ensure it delivers on its original aims: to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, safeguard Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom, and protect the EU’s single market for goods. We look to work energetically with the EU to do so.

“The Government proposed to the EU that it would be sensible to extend the chilled meats grace period, on certain conditions, and detailed discussions have followed between the Government and the Commission. Crucially, the agreement does not require the rest of the UK to align with any changes in EU agrifood rules during the grace period – there is no dynamic alignment.

“Otherwise, the arrangements for the extension are largely the same as those agreed in December.”

Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, the EU's co-chair of the Joint Committee, added: “Our work is about ensuring that the hard-earned gains of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement – peace and stability in Northern Ireland – are protected, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and maintaining the integrity of the EU Single Market. Therefore, we have spared no effort in trying to mitigate some of the challenges that have arisen in the implementation of the Protocol. Today's package of practical solutions clearly demonstrates that we are firm on implementation but continue to work hard for the benefit of the people in Northern Ireland.” 

The EU added in its statement: "The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, as an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement, was agreed jointly and ratified by both the EU and the UK. It has been in force since 1 February 2020 and has legal effects under international law. The aim of the Protocol is to protect the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement in all its dimensions, maintaining peace and stability in Northern Ireland, avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland, while preserving the integrity of the EU Single Market. In order for these objectives to be achieved – and to pave the way for further opportunities – the Protocol must be implemented in full. The UK government's failure to do so jeopardises the attainment of these objectives."