The International Federation of Employers (FedEE) expressed its concerns on Monday 18 November regarding the risks to the internal market posed by the new Northern Ireland Protocol, as agreed on 17 October between the British Government and the EU (see EUROPE 12351/2).
In a statement, it said that the new agreement, which includes a dual customs regime based on both EU and UK rules, will create new opportunities for smuggling goods and avoiding tariffs, despite the work planned by both sides to identify the risks of goods that enter the European market. “There will also be a general exclusion clause, if the goods are not processed in Northern Ireland”, although “they can be re-labelled”, the press release further states, which foresees gaping holes that allow fraud and counterfeiting.
This situation could therefore fuel “the mafia” in Northern Ireland, which could “undermine legitimate trade within the EU and generate a prosperous parallel economy, at the expense of many multinationals who operate legally in this country”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)