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The 200-page interim report released this week by the Alternative Arrangements Commission has been hailed in some quarters as setting out a potential route through the controversial Irish backstop.
The backstop was designed to ensure an open border in Ireland post-Brexit. It was opposed by some Brexit supporters because it potentially locked the UK into the EU customs union, and in addition, NI into single market arrangements for goods.
The key issue is that within the EU customs union, the UK cannot do its own trade deals, but must accept the common tariff wall and work within trade agreements done by the EU.
So in effect, the task put to the Alternative Arrangements Commission was to come up with a different plan, that would allow trade to flow in Ireland, but at the same time enable the UK to have its own independent trade policy.
The Irish backstop is a sideshow when compared to the fundamental issue around Brexit – the desire of some British politicians to head down a path that would allow cheap food in
Among the proposals put forward are that customs checks could be done away from the border, and that technology is used to help track goods. There is also a proposal that NI could decide to follow EU standards (if Stormont politicians agreed). While there are no easy solutions identified, the plan is worthy of note.
However, for farmers, the Irish backstop is a sideshow when compared to the fundamental issue around Brexit – the desire of some British politicians to head down a path that would allow cheap food in.
Remember the March 2019 temporary tariff regime proposed by the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit, that would effectively allow food products into Britain via NI tariff-free.
The policy might have been temporary, but make no mistake – it was debated long and hard around the Cabinet table. Once that policy is set, it is hard to row back. The NI agri-food industry must not get distracted by alternative arrangements for the Irish border – we must continue to argue for a customs union (as a minimum) with the EU.
SHARING OPTIONS: