With a further Brexit extension now granted by the EU, it has given the UK government some time to consider its options.

But according to Michael Haverty from Andersons, the fundamental problems that have dogged the process to date, still remain.

Trilemma

During his presentation at the Irish Farmers Journal Spring Conference, held in association with the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), Haverty pointed to three mutually exclusive things promised by the British government. They were:

  • 1 To leave the EU single market and customs union.
  • 2 No hard border on the island of Ireland.
  • 3 No checks across the Irish Sea between Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • “Any two of them are possible, but not all three at once. I don’t see any easy solution, and if a solution was there, it would have emerged over the last three years,” suggested Haverty.

    The withdrawal agreement negotiated by British prime minister Theresa May, which includes the Irish backstop proposal, effectively addresses points one and two above, but fails to address point three.

    As a result, the Conservative partners in government, the DUP, have opposed the deal and it has now failed three times to get the support of MPs.

    Technology limitations

    However, some have suggested that technology is the solution to the Irish border, effectively removing the need for the Irish backstop at all.

    Haverty accepts that technology could have a role in the collection of tariffs (taxes) on goods that cross the Irish border. But it is the second key function of customs – to checks that goods meet relevant standards, where the problem lies.

    “Technology can’t discern whether a container load of beef is hormone treated or not,” he said.