WINDSOR FRAMEWORK

1. Context

The United Kingdom and the European Union struck a deal on February 27 regarding postBrexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, with a view to removing the border between Britain and Northern Ireland running through the Irish Sea. The fact that the Republic of Ireland remained with the EU after Brexit led to complications on the trade front, a wrinkle that the U. K.’s conservative government ironed out with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

2. What is the backdrop of the issue?

Ireland is an island that lies to the west of the British mainland and has two separate politically independent territories.
Northern Ireland, about 1/6th of the total island, is a part of the UK and is administered as a relatively autonomous region.
The rest of the island forms the 'Republic of Ireland' and is an independent sovereign nation since 1992.
A hard-fought peace was secured only in 1998 under the Belfast Agreement, also called the Good Friday Agreement.

3. Relationship with the European Union

Both the Republic of Ireland and the UK (thereby Northern Ireland) became members of the 'European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973.
EEC later evolved to become the EU and also to a great extent helped to ease the tensions between the Unionists & Nationalists.
As Britain left the EU and exited the single market and customs union, the relationship between Republican Ireland and Northern Ireland has become a challenging puzzle to solve.
After Brexit, Northern Ireland remained its only constituent that shared a land border with the Republic of Ireland.
Since the EU and the UK have different product standards, border checks would be necessary before goods could move from Northern Ireland to Ireland.

4. What is Northern Ireland Framework?

Northern Ireland is a British-ruled province and part of the United Kingdom that shares a long porous border with Ireland, a member of the European Union.
Trade over the open border when Britain left the EU was one of the most difficult parts of the Brexit negotiations, culminating in the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Protocol is part of the Brexit deal, which sets Northern Ireland's trade rules.
It keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.
It keeps the Irish land border open but means products arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are subject to checks and controls.
The checks made trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland cumbersome.
Features of Windsor Framework: The framework has two crucial aspects - the introduction of a two lanes system and the 'Stormont Brake".

Source: The Hindu

5. What is the Windsor Framework?

Windsor Framework is a solution to allow Northern Ireland to remain within the EU's single market and customs union while rolling back many of the cumbersome checks imposed on goods arriving from mainland Britain under the original Brexit deal.
The UK government had complained that the burden of new paperwork was disrupting trade and effectively created an internal border within a sovereign country.
The new framework includes a "green" and "red" lane system that will separate goods traveling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland from those contained in the EU. Those not destined for the bloc will be subject to lighter border controls.

6. The Two Lanes system

Goods from Britain destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new "green lane", with a separate "red lane" for goods at risk of moving onto the EU.
Red lane goods would still be subject to checks.
Bans on certain products like chilled sausages entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain would be removed.
Northern Ireland would also no longer have to follow certain EU rules, for example, on VAT and alcohol duties. The new agreement reduces the proportion of EU rules applied in Northern Ireland to less than 3%.

7. The Stormont Brake

It means the democratically elected Northern Island 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.

8. What is the outcome of this framework?

With the Windsor Framework, the UK hopes to improve trade and other ties with the EU. The deal has allowed sunk to do away with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill introduced by his predecessor Boris Johnson. The bill involved the UK government reneging on the promise it made to the EU to follow the Protocol.

For Prelims & Mains

For Prelims: United Kingdom, European Union, European Economic Community (EEC), BREXIT, Stormont Brake, Windsor Framework, Two lane system- Green lane and Red Lane.

For Mains: 1. What is Northern Island Protocol? Discuss the issues that are arising from this Protocol and explain what is proposed under Windsor Framework.