UK-EU deal is done on agri-food and fishing - what will it mean for Northern Ireland and the Irish Sea border?

Full details are yet to be announced as leaders gather in London for the formal announcement. However, it appears that the UK has made major concessions on EU fishing rights in British waters in return for better access to Europe for Britain’s agri-food sector.

The Scottish Fishermen's Federation told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme that there had been a “total capitulation to the EU” and described it as an “absolutely disastrous” outcome for the country’s fishermen.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government reportedly made the concession to Brussels late last night – in return for reducing checks on food products from Great Britain entering the European Union, and by extension, Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland doesn’t appear to have been much of a factor in the discussions, but where the deal smooths access for British businesses selling to Europe, it will do the same for trade with Northern Ireland.

Will the Irish Sea border stay?

Yes. The constitutional arrangements under the Windsor Framework were not up for discussion. Brussels will retain control of Northern Ireland’s ports, and the province will still be treated as part of the EU single market.

But reducing checks on GB goods entering Dublin or Calais or will also reduce checks on the same goods entering Belfast or Larne. SPS checks – checks on animal and food products – form a major part of the Irish Sea border trade disruption within the UK.

While there is a lot of talk about the UK internal market, it only exists on the basis of respecting the fact that the EU controls Northern Ireland’s goods trade. That won’t change, but the level of bureaucracy should reduce as Great Britain agri-food standards are formally accepted by the EU.

Documents leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper show that the Great Britain will have “dynamic alignment” with EU rules, and therefore will be in line with Northern Ireland.

There will be no change for Northern Ireland’s firms exporting to the EU, where unfettered access already exists.

However, the SPS checks at the EU-controlled border posts in Northern Ireland are only part of a wider issue. The UK is split into two regulatory zones, down the Irish Sea.

The latest deal does not cover customs – so paperwork for importing goods from the rest of the UK into Northern Ireland will remain in place. As will a raft of other EU rules, including the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). It has meant online retailers pulling out of selling to Northern Ireland because the level of bureaucracy made it unworkable.

Which other parts of the deal will reduce the impact of the Irish Sea border?

Concerns about a ‘carbon border’ under the Windsor Framework appear to have disappeared under the new deal. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) had become a growing concern for politicians at Stormont as it had the potential to further harden the border and become a barrier for a huge range of goods.

CBAM ensures imported goods are taxed at a rate similar to domestically produced goods – to address the issue of businesses attempting to circumnavigate EU carbon rules by producing goods outside the trading bloc.

The UK government has already announced plans for its own version of CBAM, which would have lessened the potential impact. However, the new deal means the two markets are aligned – reducing the need for EU tariffs on goods moving between GB an NI.

What does it mean for Northern Ireland’s fishing industry?

The local industry will likely be furious about the deal, which will mean EU access to UK fishing waters until 2038.

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, has told the BBC the deal is a “total capitulation to the EU”.

She says the industry would lose any leverage it would have had through annual negotiations – describing it as “a terrible deal for Scottish fishermen”.

More to follow…