British isles-EU Trade and Cooperation Arrangement: open letter from Ambassador Johnston to small business in Ireland

On Christmas Eve, we all acquired an early present: the summary, after 9 months, of a Trade and Co-procedure Arrangement in between the British isles and the EU, and the summary, right after four and a 50 % years – pretty much to the working day – of the method begun with the UK’s referendum vote to go away the EU.

At the finish of this yr, I’d like to thank the organization community in Ireland for your engagement, assist and all the contributions you have created during this interval, and I want to established out how the Uk govt sees the prospects for the new yr and outside of.

I have been delighted to see that government, political leaders and company teams across Ireland have welcomed the Arrangement, when recognising that company will need to have ongoing information and assistance to adapt to the new circumstances.

Agreeing the deal included compromise on both equally sides and each sides had to acknowledge results unique from these they to begin with wanted. In other words and phrases, it was like any negotiation, or indeed any enterprise deal: give and get prevailed.

It’s a fantastic offer for the United kingdom and the EU, and in certain for the United kingdom and Ireland. It will enable powerful company to business enterprise and folks to people today connections to flourish North-South and East-West. And it confirms the unique arrangements and benefits to be appreciated by Northern Ireland from the Withdrawal Agreement very last yr, reflecting the commitments both the Uk and Eire have provided with regard to the Belfast/Superior Friday Arrangement. This also recognises and supports the depth and relevance of the provide chains concerning Northern Ireland and Ireland, primarily in the agri-foodstuff sector.

Much more broadly, the new British isles/EU settlement enables the enormous buying and selling and financial marriage amongst the Uk and our European partners and mates. It offers an critical diploma of continuity for both of those the United kingdom and EU economies by enabling corporations on both equally sides of the Channel – and the Irish Sea – to carry on a deep and shut investing connection.

Provided the huge scale of trade among the United kingdom and Ireland – €1.4 billion a 7 days in both of those instructions – that actually matters.

This offer delivers essential outcomes for the organization earth in both of those nations around the world. It secures:

• 100% tariff liberalisation. This is the initial time the EU has agreed a zero tariff zero quota deal with yet another buying and selling companion and this is the major bilateral trade deal in the world (by quantity of items)

• ongoing industry entry across a broad scope of essential assistance sectors, which includes professional and enterprise expert services, supporting new and continued financial investment involving enterprises. It also implies that organization travellers will be ready to conveniently transfer amongst the EU and the British isles for short-phrase visits, and the arrangement on monetary services makes certain economic security and shopper defense

Further than business enterprise, but just as crucial, the offer allows the United kingdom, Eire and the EU as a total to get the job done with each other on a array of worries. It provides for:

• future cooperation among the British isles and EU on legislation enforcement and judicial cooperation to enable defend the community and provide criminals to justice. As nicely as cooperation on rising stability issues, these types of as safety of information and facts, cyber stability and overall health protection, including continuing to function with each other on tackling the spread of COVID-19. We will build on all this in our bilateral get the job done with Eire

• ongoing partnerships between Uk and European exploration and science experts – via not only Horizon Europe, but also the Euratom Exploration and Education programme, and the room programme, Copernicus

I know businesses in Ireland are well conscious, not minimum since of the great operate of the Irish Governing administration, Ibec, the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, the Irish Exporters Affiliation and, I hope, our very own Embassy attempts, of the modifications that are nevertheless taking place at the conclude of 2020 as we depart the Solitary Current market and Customs Union.

It’s critical to recognise that these modifications nevertheless implement even with this FTA and we will continue on to get the job done with you to aid businesses and citizens adapt to them. The Embassy staff are right here to aid with any queries and be sure to do make us knowledgeable of any exceptional difficulties or fears relevant to this changeover that organizations are going through.

With the framework of the new Uk/EU Agreement we can glimpse forward to a new stage in our co-operation.

For factors not only of background and geography but also of people, culture, stability, economics and peace, the Uk/Ireland romance is important to us. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach have talked by now of the need to have to build our bilateral co-procedure as we enter this new time period.

That will be a large undertaking for me and the Embassy team in 2021, and 1 to which I hugely search forward.

As each countries arise from the pandemic, we can glimpse forward to tackling new challenges and possibilities alongside one another. Anything from conflict prevention and peacebuilding as companions on the UN Security Council, to the combat for our planet’s upcoming as the British isles prepares to host the historic UN meeting in Glasgow in November 2021, as well as constructing on the Embassy’s ‘Joining the Dots’ programme to support regional financial improvement and our respective ‘levelling-up’ procedures.

Lastly, and to return to the fast business enterprise agenda, the Irish sector will keep on being vastly vital for the Uk as will the Uk current market to Ireland, offered our proximity, the depth of integration of enterprise ties and our shared ambitions in thoroughly clean and rising technologies and sectors. From floating offshore wind to biotech, electric autos to the future era of construction, there are enormous prospects for Irish and British isles companies, and my team stands completely ready to assist you in this.

With just about every best want to you and your liked kinds for a happy, healthier, peace and prosperous New Year.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Johnston