​Editorial: Stormont needs to get tough on scrutinising EU laws which impact everyone in Northern Ireland

New EU rules which further entrench the Irish Sea border and pose a threat to hundreds of small businesses came into effect on Friday, but – despite the huge impact they will have – Alliance and Sinn Fein opposed an inquiry when they came before the assembly.

When the UUP and DUP proposed an investigation into the regulations at Stormont’s Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee (WFDSC), their colleagues said no – citing the rules which state a five day deadline from new rules being published.

The general product safety regulations (GPSR) have resulted in many GB suppliers deciding it’s too complicated to sell goods into Northern Ireland, as the Brussel rules require additional paperwork and a ‘responsible person’ based in Northern Ireland.

Bizarrely, that even includes digital downloads – what threat they pose to the EU single market is unclear.

Obviously, such a policy is not practical for a small business.

Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken – who sits on the WFDSC – says rather than just paying “lip service to protocol safeguards”, the body must properly protect businesses here. He has accused the pro-EU parties of putting ideology above public concerns.

Alliance and Sinn Fein MLAs, rather than rerunning arguments about the Brexit referendum and generally treating EU rules as unquestionably reasonable proposals, need to look more closely at the practical impact on business.

Laws which disrupt supply chains and lessen consumer choice are bad for everyone in Northern Ireland – and MLAs must probe issues which will impact businesses and consumers, regardless of what the committee’s rules say.

Someone downloading knitting patterns poses no threat to the EU single market.