EU Proposes Post-Brexit Path for Northern Ireland to Use UK TRQs

The European Commission this week released a proposal that it said will allow Northern Ireland businesses to use U.K. tariff rate quotas for imports from third countries of various agri-food products. The commission said the “aim” of the proposal is to ensure Northern Ireland businesses can use the TRQs for commodities originating from the rest of the world, “such as New Zealand lamb.” The solution was negotiated by the EU and the U.K. as part of the Windsor Framework, the agreement signed between the two sides on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland (see 2302270051).

The commission said it drafted the proposal after “in-depth technical discussions” with the U.K. It now will send the proposal to the European Council, and if the council approves, the EU and the U.K. are “expected to formally agree on the solution at the next meeting” of the Joint Committee of the EU-U.K. Withdrawal Agreement.