Northern Ireland approves extension of post-Brexit trade rules

NORTHERN Ireland’s devolved government has voted to continue implementing post-Brexit trading arrangements under the Windsor Framework, a deal signed between London and the European Union in February 2023.

The vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont extended the arrangement for four years.

A majority of lawmakers supported the motion, which did not require cross-community support from both pro-UK and pro-Irish unity members. However, the decision drew opposition from unionist members who argued that trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland still persist.

The vote triggered a response from the UK government, with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn pledging an independent review of the trading arrangements. "The Government welcomes that [Assembly members] have agreed on the continued application of the Windsor Framework," Benn said in a statement. "I will now proceed as required by the law, including to commission an independent review."

Benn emphasised the government’s commitment to implementing the framework in good faith. "The government remains committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in a way that offers stability and works for Northern Ireland, for businesses, and for traders," he added.

The Windsor Framework keeps Northern Ireland within the EU’s single market for goods while removing checks on goods transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This adjustment eliminated the Irish Sea border, which had been a point of contention for pro-UK unionists who feared it weakened ties between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

A central aspect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of sectarian violence, was maintaining an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. However, the UK’s 2016 Brexit vote introduced challenges, as Northern Ireland's open border could potentially allow unchecked goods to move in and out of the EU.

The 2020 post-Brexit trading arrangements sought to address this by introducing checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland while keeping the region partially aligned with EU rules.

(With inputs from AFP)