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19/11/2018
Karen Bradley: No-Deal Brexit Will Mean WTO Customs Checks In Ireland
A no-deal Brexit will inflict customs and regulatory checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, the Secretary of State Karen Bradley has warned.
Although the UK Government is working to avoid a hard border, according to the Conservative MP, World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules will inevitably mean the introduction of trade barriers.
Speaking after a meeting with NI business leaders on Monday 19 November, Mrs Bradley said: "Declarations have to be completed - now, how that is done will be matter for us to negotiate and consider, but the fact is the WTO is very clear that if there is two separate customs territories, checks have to be able to be carried out on a contemporaneous basis on consignments passing between the two customs territories.
"We will do, as the UK Government, everything we can to avoid there being a hard border on the island of Ireland - we do not want to see there being physical infrastructure at the border."
The Secretary also indicated that any commitments made by the UK and the EU in a report last December on maintaining the Common Travel Area, which manages free movement for UK and Irish citizens in Britain and Ireland, would also be thrown into doubt in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
She insisted the draft agreement proposed by Prime Minister Theresa May last week protects the "precious union" of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and warned that it is the only option on the table.
"Be under no illusion, the EU won't start negotiations all over again," Mrs Bradley added.
(JG)
Although the UK Government is working to avoid a hard border, according to the Conservative MP, World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules will inevitably mean the introduction of trade barriers.
Speaking after a meeting with NI business leaders on Monday 19 November, Mrs Bradley said: "Declarations have to be completed - now, how that is done will be matter for us to negotiate and consider, but the fact is the WTO is very clear that if there is two separate customs territories, checks have to be able to be carried out on a contemporaneous basis on consignments passing between the two customs territories.
"We will do, as the UK Government, everything we can to avoid there being a hard border on the island of Ireland - we do not want to see there being physical infrastructure at the border."
The Secretary also indicated that any commitments made by the UK and the EU in a report last December on maintaining the Common Travel Area, which manages free movement for UK and Irish citizens in Britain and Ireland, would also be thrown into doubt in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
She insisted the draft agreement proposed by Prime Minister Theresa May last week protects the "precious union" of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and warned that it is the only option on the table.
"Be under no illusion, the EU won't start negotiations all over again," Mrs Bradley added.
(JG)
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