UFU calls for urgent action as NI protocol deadline looms

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has called on policymakers to resolve four key export issues ahead of a fast-approaching deadline for the Northern Ireland (NI) Protocol.

The union said urgent action was needed ahead of the 31 December deadline when rules change on veterinary medicines, cattle movements, plant protection products (PPP) and farm machinery.

See also: NFU backs legal challenge for better bird flu compensation
 
Since the UK left the EU in January 2020 it has been treated as a third country. Normally, a border between a third country and the EU would require physical border controls.

But creating such a boundary between NI and the Republic of Ireland was seen as, potentially, politically aggravating.

Instead, the NI Protocol was agreed between the UK government and the EU to control the border between the UK mainland and NI, thus avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.

However, a compromise was needed on issues such as animal and plant health and a grace period was allowed for a resolution to be found. That grace period ends at midnight on 31 December 2022.

UFU dairy committee chairman Kenny Hawkes said farmers were growing increasingly anxious and the issues must be addressed urgently.

When the grace period for medicines ends, all veterinary products used in the EU – in this case including NI – must be licensed in the EU, Mr Hawkes explained.

Without a solution, UK veterinary medicines destined for NI would have to be re-licensed. For some companies this will not be cost-effective, given the limited size of the market.

This means a large range of everyday veterinary products would be affected, including anthelmintics, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins and vaccines.

Barriers to movement

Cattle movements are another potential major concern for NI farmers. Since January 2020, restrictions were put in place which proved unworkable when moving livestock between Great Britain (GB) and NI.
 
“Many of our farmers would have sold pedigree bulls into GB but the restrictions have brought this to an end. It has also affected imports of dairy heifers,” Mr Hawkes said.

EU sanitary and phytosanitary rules continue to apply in NI under the NI Protocol.

This means that since 1 January 2021, all regulated PPPs, including seeds moving from GB to NI, have been required to meet the EU’s third-country import requirements.

“The danger is that, while according to the EU, NI producers could source PPP from the Republic of Ireland, they may end up using a product which is not permitted in NI or GB,” Mr Hawkes said.
 
Moving second-hand machinery between GB and NI is also being affected, because all machines must be free of soil and other potential contaminants for entry into NI.

Domestic bill plan ‘shelved’

According to a report in The Sunday Times, the UK government has shelved plans for a Northern Ireland Protocol Bill until the new year.

This reports arrives amid increasing optimism that an agreement between Brussels and Westminster can be struck by February over future trading arrangements.

If it were ever introduced, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill would put in place domestic legislation to override EU laws, which the EU maintains would breach the UK’s international commitments under the Withdrawal Agreement.