Government introduces new Bill to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol
16 June 2022
The Government has introduced a new Bill that seeks to change the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill aims to make changes to customs processes, regulation, tax and spend discrepancies and democratic governance issues.
The Government’s announcement states that the Bill would enable it to:
1. Establish green and red channels to remove unnecessary costs and paperwork for businesses trading within the UK, while ensuring full checks are done for goods entering the EU
2. Give businesses the choice of placing goods on the market in Northern Ireland according to either UK or EU goods rules, to ensure that Northern Ireland consumers are not prevented from buying UK standard goods, including as UK and EU regulations diverge over time
3. Ensure Northern Ireland can benefit from the same tax breaks and spending policies as the rest of the UK, including VAT cuts on energy-saving materials and Covid recovery loans
4. Normalise governance arrangements so that disputes are resolved by independent arbitration and not by the European Court of Justice
We will continue to monitor the progress of the Bill and its potential implications for our industry, in particular in relation to its proposed changes for product regulation and placing goods on the market.
