UK & EU to formally adopt new post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland

Foreign secretary James Cleverly and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic will formally sign off the Windsor Framework at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in London, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a press release.

The European Union (EU) also formally agreed to the key elements of the Windsor Framework during a recently held council of the EU.

The joint committee demonstrated the UK’s commitment to the Windsor Framework as the best deal for Northern Ireland. The fundamentally new arrangements fix the practical problems of the protocol and secure a new way forward for a prosperous, stable future for Northern Ireland.

“By formally approving the Windsor Framework, we are delivering on our commitment to provide stability and certainty for Northern Ireland. The framework is the best deal for Northern Ireland, safeguarding its place in the Union and protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. I look forward to further effective cooperation with the EU on key issues, such as security and energy,” said James Cleverly, foreign secretary.

Once the joint committee formally adopts the Windsor Framework, the UK government will look to begin implementing the framework, added the release.

The joint committee will be followed by a partnership council, also chaired by Cleverly and Sefcovic, which oversees the implementation, application, and interpretation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The partnership council will cover wider UK-EU cooperation, including on issues such as the UK’s access to EU science and research programmes, energy, trade, and security.

The Windsor Framework is an international arrangement between the UK and the EU under which the parties commit to binding international law obligations, including changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol itself.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)