March 25, 2023
2 mins read

UK, EU adopt new Brexit deal for NI

UK and EU signed off the “Windsor Framework” deal during a meeting in London on Friday.

A new deal aimed at easing post-Brexit trade tensions in Northern Ireland was formally adopted by the UK and the European Union (EU), the two sides announced in a joint statement.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic signed off the “Windsor Framework” deal during their meeting in London on Friday.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic during talks in London.

According to their joint statement, both the UK and the EU had taken a “positive approach” and “reaffirmed their intent” to use the framework to resolve any future trade issues.

The content of the new deal was finalised in February after long negotiations.

It aims to resolve the trading issues created by its predecessor, the Northern Ireland Protocol, which imposed border checks on British goods arriving in Northern Ireland.

Following the signing of the deal, Sefcovic said the EU would continue listening to everyone in Northern Ireland and continue its commitment to the peace process, the BBC reported.

He said both sides had “listened, understood and acted for the benefit of both our interests”.

“Now the Windsor Framework is the result of that genuine engagement and shared vision,” he said.

On his part, Cleverly said the negotiations had been “thoughtful, professional and in the spirit of friendship and cooperation”.

“What we achieved was… something which protected the EU’s single market, protected the UK’s internal market but most importantly protected the elements of the Belfast Agreement,” he said.

As a central element of the new deal, the “Stormont Brake” — taking on the Irish name of the Northern Ireland Assembly — is intended to give Northern Ireland’s lawmakers more say over EU rules set to apply in the region.

While Northern Ireland’s political parties broadly support the framework, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has questioned how the “Stormont Brake” will operate.

As a sign of protest, the party has refused to join the power-sharing government at the Stormont for over a year, undermining political stability.

Reacting to Friday’s development, DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the ratification was “not the final word”.

“It has to come back to the people of Northern Ireland,” he said.

“That’s the bottom line. The unionist community don’t buy into this process – what part of that does he (Rishi Sunak) not get?

“That’s what they have to address – both communities have to buy in and we don’t buy into this one so we have to alter, change or adapt it,” he said.

“If it’s take it or leave it – we’re not going to take it.”

ALSO READ: India, UK hold discussions on bilateral, security cooperation

Previous Story

Garcetti sworn in as US ambassador to India

Next Story

Sri Lanka settles part of India’s credit line

Latest from -Top News

Indian-American Takes Office as Head of NIH

Born in Kolkata, India, Dr. Bhattacharya earned both his BA and MA degrees in economics from Stanford University, followed by a doctorate in medicine and a PhD in economics from the same

Trump-Putin bhai, bhai

The closer Trump and Putin get Britain, France and other Western countries which, since the end of the Second World War, have seen America as an ally, will have to rethink their

Mali embraces solar power for rural areas  

The border village of Karan and its 3,000 people used to go days without electricity. Now, enough power is available around the clock to run small video gaming centers and boost commercial
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Economists sound the alarm over post-Brexit plans

It also raised the risk of hurting the real economy

Sunak wins post-Brexit trade vote  

Despite the opposition, Sunak won the vote by 515 to