Slide 4
Slide 4 text
Implementing the EU’s ‘Backstop’: Resulting trade and regulatory divergence between NI and GB
Currently, the idea of a UK ‘single market’ sits alongside regulatory divergence that already exists between NI & GB. Such divergence exists as a
result of competences devolved to NI relating to EU integration (e.g. agriculture). There are currently no controls on GB-NI trade except relating
to sanitary-phytosanitary measures protecting animal & plant health on the island of Ireland. Possible scenarios for end of transition period:
EU’s Protocol with: Potential for Regulatory Divergence Required Checks and Controls on GB->NI trade
1. No final UK-EU
customs or trade
deal
• Customs arrangements
• Rules governing trade in goods, agriculture,
fisheries + areas of North-South cooperation
• Laws on VAT and Excise duties
• GB and third country products entering NI (tariffs, quotas, rules of
origin [RoO] to see how much of the product)
• GB and third country products entering NI (standards)
• VAT and Excise Duty payments on entry
2. UK in a Canada- or
Ukraine- style free
trade deal with EU
• Customs arrangements
• Certain Rules governing production/trade in
goods, agriculture, fisheries
• Rules in areas of North-South co-operation
• GB products entering NI (RoO)
• Third country products entering NI (tariffs, quotas, RoO)
• GB and third country products entering NI (standards)
• VAT and Excise Duty payments on entry
3. UK in a customs
union with EU
• Rules governing production/trade in goods,
agriculture, fisheries
• Rules in areas of North-South cooperation
• GB and third country products entering NI (standards)
• Controls on any GB products (e.g. agricultural) entering NI not
covered by customs union (tariffs, quotas, RoO, standards)
4. UK in the European
Economic Area (EEA)
• Customs arrangements
• Certain rules governing production/trade in
agriculture, fisheries
• Certain rules in areas of North-South co-op.
• GB products entering NI (rules of origin)
• Third country products entering NI (tariffs, quotas, RoO; standards)
• Controls on any GB products entering NI not covered by EEA
(tariffs, quotas, standards)
5. UK-wide alignment
on customs and single
market rules
• Certain rules in areas of North-South
cooperation
• As per current arrangements (see (i) and (ii) above)
• Controls on any GB products (e.g. agricultural) entering NI not
covered by EEA or customs union (tariffs, quotas, standards)
Dr Katy Hayward & Prof David Phinnemore
Work in Progress; Comments welcome