Brexit: Northern Ireland Protocol would benefit from 'special goods category' says Tony Blair think tank

A think tank has suggested the EU and UK should agree to a “special category” of goods that would not need to be checked when being transported between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change put forward six steps to "put the protocol on a more stable footing".

These steps consist of:

1. Agree to exempt a special category of “Northern Ireland approved” goods, moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, from requirements under EU law provided they meet specific conditions. These conditions are as follows: that their disrupted supply risks having detrimental effects on the Northern Irish economy and society; that they are bound to Northern Ireland for final sale and consumption; and that they meet minimum requirements agreed between the UK and the EU.
2. Create a robust surveillance and enforcement system to prevent non-compliance.
3. Develop a governance arrangement to manage future barriers to trade and to maintain the list of “Northern Ireland approved” goods over time.
4. Replace EU state-aid rules in the protocol with more up-to-date provisions.
5. Give Northern Irish and UK representatives greater opportunities for consultation on draft EU laws that apply to Northern Ireland.
6. Extend the arbitration-based dispute-settlement mechanism of the Withdrawal Agreement to the trade-related parts of the protocol.

They go on to claim that these steps "would minimise most immediate practical difficulties facing Northern Ireland and put the protocol on a more stable footing.

"With “NI approved” goods exempted from controls, this arrangement could significantly reduce the volume and frequency of checks at Northern Irish ports and airports, while ensuring that goods moving further on to the EU are subject to standard import requirements for third countries."

Policy lead at the Institute Anton Spisak said: "If there is a way forward, it involves the UK accepting responsibility for the protocol and shifting away from its absolutist position, and the EU expanding its offer from October."