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KembaraXtra – Legal Terms – Northern Ireland Protocol
The Northern Ireland Protocol, formally known as the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, was created following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Its purpose was to prevent the creation of a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.
Because the Republic of Ireland remained part of the EU Single Market and Customs Union while the UK left both systems, customs and regulatory checks would normally have been required along the Irish border.
To avoid this, the Protocol kept Northern Ireland effectively aligned with parts of the EU Single Market system.
As a result, customs and regulatory checks occur mainly on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland rather than between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The arrangement followed earlier proposals such as the “Irish Backstop,” which had proved politically controversial.
The Protocol forms part of the revised Withdrawal Agreement negotiated under Prime Minister Boris Johnson and came into force at the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020.
The Agreement also provides for a future consent mechanism allowing Northern Ireland to decide whether the Protocol’s arrangements should continue.
The Northern Ireland Protocol, formally known as the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, was created following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Its purpose was to prevent the creation of a “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.
Because the Republic of Ireland remained part of the EU Single Market and Customs Union while the UK left both systems, customs and regulatory checks would normally have been required along the Irish border.
To avoid this, the Protocol kept Northern Ireland effectively aligned with parts of the EU Single Market system.
As a result, customs and regulatory checks occur mainly on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland rather than between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The arrangement followed earlier proposals such as the “Irish Backstop,” which had proved politically controversial.
The Protocol forms part of the revised Withdrawal Agreement negotiated under Prime Minister Boris Johnson and came into force at the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020.
The Agreement also provides for a future consent mechanism allowing Northern Ireland to decide whether the Protocol’s arrangements should continue.
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