EU Proposals on the NI Protocol
14 October 2021
The EU Commission has now published its latest proposals in response to the UK Governments’ recent Command Paper document on the NI protocol. The latest EU document outlines possible concessions on food, plant and animal health issues, on more flexible customs formalities, future engagement with NI and, importantly, on the uninterrupted security of supply of medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for the long-term. However, the EU proposals do not specifically cover the UK’s proposal for a ‘dual regulatory’ regime in NI for other products, including medical devices, which suggested the acceptance of both CE and UKCA marked medical devices in NI.
Whilst a solution for medicines may now be edging closer, the future for devices remains uncertain, and part of the negotiations that will be undertaken between the EU Commission and the UK Government over the coming weeks.
