Motion: Trade Border in the Irish Sea

"This Council notes with concern the hugely detrimental impact that the Trade border in the Irish Sea has had on supply chains between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, creating obstacles to trade where previously there were none; removing products from our supermarket shelves; putting extra pressure on struggling businesses and creating a trade imbalance between Northern Ireland and its biggest export market Great Britain; and notes with further concern that the free movement of pets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been restricted by the agreement reached between the EU and the UK Government.

This council regrets that the UK Government's proposals of 2 October 2019, which included a border in the Irish Sea and border inspection posts, have led us to where we are today.  The current situation is totally unacceptable, and this Council should be sending a clear message to the EU and the UK Government that derogations should be in place for a period of at least one year to protect Northern Ireland's economy.

In view of the very serious impediments to the Northern Ireland economy being created by the Trade and Co-operation Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, this Council will write to the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis MP calling on him to recommend that the United Kingdom Government applies safeguard measures for a period of at least one year, and for the EU and UK Government to urgently engage to remove the barriers that are disrupting trade and could lead to further problems in the future.