Letter: On first reading the Windsor Framework looks like the kind of pragmatic, practical solutions we have been urging

The Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) welcomes the considerable efforts of both the UK government and the EU to find joint solutions on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Since the referendum and subsequent negotiations, the priority for the Northern Ireland food and drink industry has been for a durable negotiated solution that maintains frictionless trade and allows our businesses to grow and thrive.

Alongside the wider business community we have urged solutions that deliver local businesses affordability, certainty, simplicity and stability.

It will take time to fully analyse the document and understand implications for our members, but on first reading the Windsor Framework looks substantial and balanced, and represents the kind of pragmatic, practical solutions that we have been urging.

We are working through the detail of the deal, but the agreement itself is an important step forward by both the UK government and European Union.

Michael Bell OBE, Executive Director, NIFDA