UK PM Sunak Arrives in Belfast Amid Speculation NI Protocol Deal Could Be Clinched in March

As part of the Brexit deal that went into force in January 2021, there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but under the NI Protocol, all goods and animal-based products coming from the rest of UK territories must be checked upon arrival to ensure their compatibility with EU sanitary regulations.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has arrived in Belfast to meet local party leaders amid speculation that a deal between the UK and the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol (NI Protocol) could be clinched already next week.

A Number 10 spokesperson said that "whilst talks with the EU are ongoing, ministers continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure any solution fixes the practical problems on the ground, meets our overarching objectives, and safeguards Northern Ireland's place in the UK's internal market."

The spokesperson added that Sunak and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are travelling to Belfast "to speak to political parties as part of this engagement process."

The PM’s visit follows Brussels and No. 10 stressing last month that there was a "new basis" for tackling the NI Protocol spat after they reached an agreement on sharing trade data.

The agreement was struck during talks that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris had in London with European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, who is the EU’s chief negotiator.

On the other hand, Sunak’s spokesperson admitted at the time that "there are still significant issues at the heart of the protocol that need addressing."

The UK and the EU completed the Brexit transition in January 2021, when a trade and cooperation agreement between the parties came into effect. Under the terms of the deal, the UK left the single market and the EU customs union. Northern Ireland also left the EU as part of the UK, but remained in the European single market and customs unions.

Under the NI Protocol, all goods and animal-based products coming from the rest of the UK must be checked upon arrival in Northern Ireland to ensure their compatibility with EU sanitary regulations.

In June 2022, the UK government introduced a bill unilaterally revising the provisions of the NI Protocol, arguing that the deal is not working, as it causes delays and interruptions to goods moving between the UK and Northern Ireland.

The bill stipulates the establishment of a "green channel" for goods transported from the UK to Northern Ireland, as well as the change in the tax rules, stripping the European Court of its role as the sole arbiter of disputes. This move drew the ire of the EU and pushed Brussels to take legal action against London.