Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Europe and North Wales Assembly Member, Mark Isherwood, has criticised the First Minister this week for dismissing a leading customs expert’s recommendation for a ‘low friction’ solution for the Irish border after Brexit.
in a report on cross-border trade which was commissioned by the European Parliament, customs expert Dr Lars Karlsson said if the Irish border is handled in the same way as other EU frontiers it will have "a severe impact" on trade, due to high the volume of goods and the lack of infrastructure in place, and instead outlined a "low friction" solution for future UK- Irish border arrangements following Brexit.
In the Assembly Chamber yesterday, Mr Isherwood asked the First Minister what consideration he has given to the report.
He said:
“Both the (Assembly) Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee and the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee have gathered evidence from people like the Canadian Consulate in Brussels, the Irish Government and others, giving us examples of how low-friction trade occurs across borders and through ports. We know that Irish Ferries last month confirmed their order for what will be the largest ferry—€165.2 million—in the world in terms of vehicle capacity, to run between Dublin and Holyhead. Last Thursday, the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee took evidence on Anglesey from the Anglesey Enterprise Zone Board on the Holyhead Port Expansion Plan, which includes provision for Brexit.
“What consideration, therefore, have you given to the report from the European Parliament, 'Avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland for Customs control and the free movement of persons', which looks at a number of technological solutions and comes to a positive conclusion about how to create a low-friction border? That's from the European Parliament itself.”
In his response the First Minister stated:
“We can't afford to have a situation where the maritime border is seen as more difficult, more bureaucratic and more troublesome for freight operators than the border between the north and south in Ireland. Why? There's an incentive there for goods to move through Northern Ireland to Scottish ports and into Liverpool and to avoid the Welsh ports, if that border is seen as more problematic. If it applies to one, it has to apply to all.”
Mr Isherwood added:
“There he goes again, stuck in the same old rut, unable or unwilling to acknowledge any facts which challenge his ongoing sulk over the Brexit referendum result. In the real world, even a European Parliament report states that a low-friction border can be created via measures including ‘a bilateral EU–UK agreement regulating an advanced Customs co-operation that avoids duplication and where UK and Irish Customs can undertake inspections on behalf of each other””.