Here are some important updates on the new Brexit plan proposed by Borris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
PM Johnson's new deal is a spin on former PM Teresa May's 585-page detailed withdrawal deal focusing on three major areas: Customs, Single Market and Good Friday Agreement. Johnson stated that a backstop was a “bridge to nowhere”, which would leave the UK tied to EU customs arrangements which is “not the goal of the current UK Government”. He expresses in the letter to the EU: “The Government intends that the future relationship should be based on a Free Trade Agreement in which the UK takes control of its own regulatory affairs and trade policy.”
Customs:
UK will be exiting the EU Customs Union as a whole at the end of the transition period
This means no backstop, however, to honour the Good Friday Agreement there will not be customs posts or physical infrastructure at the Irish border, and declarations on all good movements should be done electronically.
Physical checks if needed could be carried out at designated locations away from the border.
Single Market:
Introduction of two borders, one between Northern Ireland and UK, called Regulatory border and Nothern Ireland & EU called the Customs border. The new agreement requires Northern Ireland should remain under EU single market regulations indefinitely.*
This means goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain would be subject to border inspection to ensure they comply with EU rules.
Good Friday Agreement:
The maintenance of the Good Friday Agreement have been paramount on both sides, thus it is proposed the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive (commonly known as Stormont, which has been at odds and not sat since 2017) must sign off the plan before it takes effect.
*It is proposed that, before the end of the transition period, and every four years after, the UK will provide an opportunity for democratic consent to these arrangements in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive; Stormont will vote on the ongoing arrangements every four years. If they reject it in any of these votes, Northern Ireland would stop following EU single market rules one year later - and a hard border would be inevitable.
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