WINDSOR FRAMEWORK - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
News:
● The
Windsor framework seeks to address the disruptions to trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. caused by
the Northern Ireland Protocol.
History of Northern Ireland:
● Ever
since the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921
established the Irish Free State,
the island’s counties comprising Northern Ireland, remained a part of the U.K.
● The
political split on the island was exacerbated by growing tensions, especially
from the 1960s onwards, with spiraling violence between Unionists, who were set
on Northern Ireland remaining within the U.K., and the Republicans, who favored
unification with the Republic of Ireland. Over the following three decades of
attacks that came to be known as “The Troubles”, more than 3,500 people died and
many hundreds of thousands were injured.
● This
dark saga on the island ended only after the Good Friday Agreement was hammered out in 1998 between Prime
Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern of the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland
respectively.
● A
key takeaway from the Agreement was that, respecting the wishes of the majority
of the people of Northern Ireland, the province would remain a part of the U.K.
The people of the province would continue to be governed by blended political
institutions, based on power sharing between the Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
Post Brexit and Northern Ireland Protocol:
● These
carefully constructed arrangements faced an imminent challenge with the
prospect of Brexit, and that led, in 2019, to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
● The Northern Ireland
Protocol allowed EU customs rules to apply in Northern Ireland.
● This
was to avoid a hard customs border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland. Specifically, under the Protocol, Northern Ireland would formally be
outside the EU single market, yet EU rules on the free movement of goods and
customs union would continue to apply.
● While
the Protocol promoted peace and harmony on the island, it de facto cut Northern
Ireland off from the UK in terms of trade by imposing, in effect, a hard customs
border in the Irish Sea. This aggravated Northern Ireland unionists who argued
that it was unfair that goods could not flow freely between the province and
the rest of the UK.
What are the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol?
● Time & resource
wastage – The checks made trade between Great
Britain and Northern Ireland cumbersome, with food products losing out on shelf
life while they waited for clearance.
● Taxation
– Some taxation and spending policies of the UK government could not be
implemented in Northern Ireland because of EU rules.
● The
sale of medicines was caught between
different British and EU rules.
● United UK
– Any kind of border in the Irish Sea bothered those who want a United Kingdom.
● The
Democratic Union Party (DUP) has not allowed Stormont, its Parliament, to
function since last year, because of its opposition to the Protocol.
What is proposed under the Windsor Framework?
● It
will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol, which had proved to be among the
thorniest of Brexit fall-outs, creating problems both economic and political.
The framework has two crucial aspects:
● Introduction of a green
lane and red lane system - For goods that will
stay in Northern Ireland and those that will go to the EU respectively.
● Green lane goods
will have fewer checks and controls, including no customs checks or rules of
origin.
● Red lane goods
under the framework will be subject to full checks and controls to preserve the
EU’s single market.
● The two lane system –
British goods meant for Northern Ireland will use the green lane at the ports,
and will be allowed to pass with minimal paperwork and checks.
● Physical checks
will be conducted if the goods are deemed suspicious, in place of the routine
checks now.
● Goods
destined for Ireland or the rest of the EU will have to take the red lane, with
the attendant customs and other checks.
● The Stormont Brake
– It means the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly can oppose new
EU goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday
lives in Northern Ireland. For this, they will need the support of 30 members
from at least 2 parties and the British government can then veto the law.