London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Northern Ireland: what are EU and UK proposing and will deal be done?

Northern Ireland: what are EU and UK proposing and will deal be done?

EU law on medicines may be rewritten and UK has climbed down over ECJ. Here’s what we know
Is Brexit done?


The UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020 and all EU rules fell away at the start of 2021. Soon after, a row broke out over the Northern Ireland protocol, the tortuously negotiated agreement to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU single market and customs union.

The UK demanded a rewrite of the protocol in July. At first the EU said it wasn’t prepared to do more than tinker around the edges, but by October the European Commission had offered some substantial changes including scrapping customs red tape. After weeks of non-stop talks, each side has now taken a step towards agreement.

What is the EU proposing?


The commission revealed on Friday it was prepared to rewrite EU law on medicines to ensure stable supplies of generic and life-saving drugs in Northern Ireland. Without changes, Northern Irish patients risk losing access to hundreds of generic medicines available on the NHS.

The problem arose because Northern Ireland should follow EU rules on medicines that require quality-control tests to be done in the single market, heaping costs on British manufacturers of generic medicines that could cause many to abandon the Northern Irish market.

What is the UK move?


The British government has climbed down in its demands on the European court of justice (ECJ), a bete noire for Brexiters. The UK has signalled the ECJ is no longer its first priority in negotiations on the Northern Ireland protocol, as it seeks to focus on customs and health checks in the Irish Sea border that are having the biggest impact on UK business and Northern Irish citizens.

The government has also been clearer that it is ready to accept an arbitration system, with a continuing role for the ECJ in settling disputes over EU law.

So, an agreement is close?


Far from it. The UK sounds positive about the EU proposals on medicines, but says it needs to check the details. But the role of the European court in policing the protocol is a big sticking point.

While the British are ready to concede a role for the ECJ, thecommission has flatly refused to discuss a new governance model, partly because it opposes reopening an international treaty agreed barely two years ago. And the two sides remain far apart on customs, plant, food and animal health checks.

Does that mean a return to ‘sausage wars’?


While the ban on importing British chilled meat into Northern Ireland captured headlines, the disagreement is bigger than a few bangers. The sausage issue looks relatively straightforward to solve now the EU has proposed an exemption for “iconic” British products, allowing such items to be imported into Northern Ireland with the right certification.

More broadly, the UK has complained there has been little progress on “burdensome” customs and SPS checks on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland. The EU thinks it has made a generous offer that would mean, for example, a lorry transporting meat, fish, dairy, fruit and sweets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland would need just one certificate rather than one per product type. The UK says the EU’s numbers are less than meets the eye and that a claimed 80% reduction in health checks does not stand up.

What next?


Unlike the Brexit trade deal, there is no looming end-of-year deadline. The UK would like an agreement before elections to the Northern Ireland assembly, due by May 2022. The commission hopes its medicines proposal will be a “catalyst” for a broader agreement early next year but has declined to match the UK timetable, saying it is “not in the business of artificial deadlines”. Talks will resume in 2022.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×