UK and EU agree on Northern Ireland Protocol
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached an agreement in London to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Northern Ireland Protocol is part of the UK’s withdrawal agreement from the EU, which determines the customs border between the UK and the EU.
Under the new agreement, there will be no customs border in the Irish Sea between the island of Ireland and the UK.
According to the new agreement, goods going from the UK to Northern Ireland, if intended to stay in that country, will pass through the green customs route, meaning they will not undergo customs inspection and will require minimal paperwork. Goods going from Northern Ireland to the EU will go through the red customs route, which requires inspection and administrative paperwork.
Details on how this plan will be implemented in practice have not yet been announced.
Parties and individuals in Northern Ireland who support remaining in the UK were concerned that if a border was established in the Irish Sea, it would weaken Northern Ireland’s relationship with the rest of the UK.
