Lisburn, Northern Ireland: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss visited temperature-controlled operator McCulla Ireland to discuss a solution to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Truss spoke to Road Haulage Association members, including Peter Summerton, managing director of McCulla, on the visit. She indicated that legislation will be tabled to Parliament on the issue within the next three weeks. Truss said close engagement with the RHA and other organisations would be necessary to ensure it was fit for purpose.
According to the RHA, the proposals include green and red lane solutions at ports in Northern Ireland. The green lanes will be for goods remaining in the UK with the claim it will be similar to moving goods between England and Scotland. The red lane will be those going to the EU and subject to full customs checks and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements. Additionally, the current TraderSupport Service scheme could continue under the red lane proposal.
Where the final destination is unknown, the green lane can be used, or alternatively the trader/haulier can use the red lane and declare the goods through the full customs and SPS requirements. If goods are subsequently moved going to the EU single market, they can be declared at that stage. Additionally raw materials and parts can be sourced to either EU or UK standards, subject to the products’ final market.
An approved universal trusted trader scheme will be required for those businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland only and anyone found to be operating illegally will be subject to investigations and potential removal from the scheme.
Truss also indicated the government wanted a negotiated settlement and needed a biosecurity agreement to underpin it.
She sought views from attendees on the new framework and whether it would address their concerns. The proposals are framed around the UK Command paper published last summer and if agreed, will largely address most of the concerns hauliers have in regard to the additional requirements.
“The Foreign Secretary’s team will now forward further information to the RHA and other stakeholders for a view on the new scheme,” says the RHA. “We additionally requested clarity on the positioning of SPS controls for entry into the UK through Ireland in the event of a contamination or disease issue within the EU.”
