Details published Wednesday of a British government deal struck with Northern Ireland's Democratic Union Party to end its near two-year boycott of the power-sharing assembly at Stormont (pictured) indicate an end to the automatic application of European Union law and customs checks on goods entering from the rest of Britain. File Photo by Mark Marlow/EPA-EFE
Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Details published Wednesday of a British government deal struck with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party to end its near two-year boycott of a power-sharing administration signal an end to the automatic application of European Union law and customs checks on goods entering the country from the mainland.
The 76-page "Safeguarding the Union" Command Paper was presented to MPs ahead of new legislation codifying the changes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government hopes to pass in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Other measures include an East-West Council, a new trade body to arbitrate on disputes and a minimum of one cabinet meeting on Northern Ireland to be held every 12 months.
Two of the pieces of legislation will reaffirm Northern Ireland's status as a part of the United Kingdom and guarantee "unfettered access" to the U.K.'s internal market" for all Northern Ireland goods.
A section of the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Act will also be amended to end the "automatic pipeline of EU law" and recognize that laws applicable to Northern Ireland will be "subject to the democratic oversight of the Stormont Assembly."
The unexpected turn of events began to fall into place during the course of Tuesday after the DUP accepted the deal to restore power-sharing and Britain and the EU inked an agreement permitting changes to the Windsor Framework that will allow Northern Ireland to benefit from British trade deals with other countries.
However, Northern Ireland will, uniquely, also retain access to the EU Single Market.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said Wednesday that the deal gets rid of the border down the middle of the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from Britain's internal market.
"For goods coming in from the U.K., our objective was to remove the Irish Sea Border and that is what we have achieved," he told the BBC.
"We're no longer in a situation where if you bring goods in to sell in Northern Ireland, you need a customs declaration."
There would also be no physical checks of goods destined for Northern Ireland at the country's ports.
Donaldson also praised Sunak, saying he had delivered where his predecessors had failed.
"Rishi Sunak has worked with us, the secretary of state has worked with us, the team from Downing Street has worked with us to make these changes."
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris hailed the deal, telling parliament Wednesday that it was the "right one for Northern Ireland and the union."
"With this package it is now time for elected representatives in Northern Ireland to come together, to end the two years of impasse and start work again in the interests of the people that elected them."
Resumption of the power-sharing executive made up of the DUP and the nationalist Sinn Fein party plus two other mainstream parties, expected as early as Friday, will unlock $4.2 billion in funding needed to pay for public services that has been sitting untouched in Westminster treasury coffers.
