Hilary Benn meets EU trade chief in Brussels to 'mark benefits' of UK-EU trade deal in Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State has met with the EU’s trade commissioner in Brussels – in an event the Northern Ireland Office says is to “mark benefits” for the province in the recent trade deal between London and Brussels.
The meeting between Hilary Benn and Maroš Šefčovič took place on Thursday afternoon, with the UK minister for EU relations Nick Thomas–Symonds also in attendance.
The NIO said the event “celebrated” the proposed SPS deal announced by the UK and EU last month – which it claimed is “making a huge difference to consumers and businesses in Northern Ireland”.
The aim of the deal is to facilitate the “smooth flow” of agrifood products and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland – which has been hugely disrupted since the Irish Sea border arrangements came into place in 2021.
The government says the proposed SPS deal will protect the UK’s internal market, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice.
“It will allow businesses to save hours of time and money by removing swathes of paperwork and numerous health certificates, checks, and processes – with those using the red lane expected to save close to £1 million per month”, an NIO spokesperson said.
Speaking ahead of his visit, the Secretary of State said: “The agreement the UK Government recently reached with the EU will help us to deliver on our core mission to grow the economy, and shows the benefits of a closer partnership with our friends in Europe.
“I look forward to meeting with Commissioner Šefčovič today, to emphasise this Government’s commitment to continuing to implement the Windsor Framework and to delivering the new SPS agreement as soon as possible. This will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and protect the UK’s internal market.
“And Northern Ireland will, of course, continue to enjoy its unique access to the EU’s single market, a key competitive advantage. All of this means that Northern Ireland is set to become an even more attractive destination for investment in the years ahead.”