MPs find no tech solution to maintain 'soft' Irish border
The search for an agreement over the Irish border continues as the possibility of a tech based solution is ruled out. Both sides agreed to a ‘soft’ border, however no practical solution has yet been found.
Finding a solution to the Irish post-Brexit border
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said it had been unable to find border solutions anywhere in the world that would enable the current frictionless border to continue – one of the European Union’s basic demands in Brexit negotiations.Andrew Murrison, a Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said, “Brexit’s success or otherwise hinges on the UK-Ireland border. Everyone agrees that the border after Brexit must look and feel as it does today.“However, we have heard no evidence to suggest that there is currently a technical solution that would avoid infrastructure at the border. Furthermore, we have no detail on how checks on goods and people will be undertaken away from the border.”Related stories:
- Ireland pins hopes on EU to avoid ‘hard border’
- EU proposal on Irish border rejected by British
- MPs condemn lack of post-Brexit immigration plan
The ‘soft’ border agreement
The UK signed up in December to a European Commission Joint Report agreeing to retain a ‘soft’ border on the island of Ireland but practical difficulties about how this might be achieved have dogged subsequent negotiations. Three days of talks aimed at trying to find a solution began in Brussels on Friday.Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has maintained that a technical solution – similar, he suggested, to the London congestion charge – could be employed. But after an exhaustive inquiry, which included quizzing customs officials, politicians and people living along the Irish border as well as studying how the borders operated between the EU and Switzerland and Norway, the MPs concluded no such technical solution existed.“We have seen no evidence to suggest that, right now, an invisible border is possible,” said the report.Dr Murrison added, “It is now clear that a significant transition period is essential for the options in December’s Joint Report to be worked through. It is equally clear that regulatory and tariff alignment will be required during transition to avoid any hardening of the border before a definitive low-friction solution can be determined.”
No possibility of an open border across Ireland
The committee also ruled out the idea, suggested by the Brussels, – of an open border across Ireland and a tariff border along the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. “This would create a costly barrier to trade with Northern Ireland’s largest market and would be incompatible with the spirit and intent of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement,” said the report.It added that the UK government would not have time to introduce invisible customs arrangements before Brexit and might to remain in a customs union and single market through the transition period. The MPs said British ministers should develop an innovative system capable of delivering customs compliance without “ineffective and unworkable” physical infrastructure.Read more about the future of the UK industry in the Winter issue of our magazine
For related news and features, visit our Brexit section. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory
©2024 Re:locate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.