10 July 2023

The Windsor Framework - overview and update

On 27 February 2023 the UK and EU agreed the Windsor Framework, providing a fundamentally new set of arrangements in three key areas; restoring the smooth flow of trade within the UK internal market by removing burdens that have disrupted East-West trade; safeguard Northern Ireland's place in the Union; and addressing the democratic deficit that was otherwise at the heart of the original Northern Ireland Protocol. These arrangements were adopted at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on 24 March 2023.

With this new agreement, the UK Government fully preserves its longstanding commitments to ensure Northern Ireland's businesses have full unconditional and unfettered access to their most important market in Great Britain, while maintaining their privileged access to the whole of the EU market. This new approach, set out in the Windsor Framework, restores the balance needed to uphold the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions. It puts in place a new legal and constitutional framework, changing the text of the treaty and scrapping a range of EU rules.

For more information, please refer to the Windsor Framework command paper.

When does the Windsor Framework come into effect?

The implementation of the Framework will happen in stages through into 2025, to provide businesses with time to adapt to new arrangements. Some arrangements are already in place, with other elements coming into effect from later this year and beyond, in accordance with the arrangements and conditions that the Framework sets out.

Due to this transitional period, new information will be staggered in accordance with the different elements of the framework going live. To stay up to date with the latest information available, please go to GOV.UK and search ‘Windsor Framework'.

What are the different elements that the Windsor Framework will introduce?

The agreement puts in place a full set of new arrangements including a new ‘green lane' for movements of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This will mean that traders moving goods destined for Northern Ireland will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, checks and duties, using only ordinary commercial information rather than customs processes or complex certification requirements.

• Green Lane Movements
• Duty Reimbursement Scheme
• Customs Duty Waiver
• Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme

Find out more about each of these on the Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy website here.

Do I need to do anything?

To take full advantage of the various schemes that have been developed as part of the Windsor Framework, you may be required to take some proactive steps. As the information becomes available, it is therefore essential that you review the associated eligibility criteria to identify whether a scheme is suitable for your specific trade scenario.

To gain access to benefits of the green lane when it opens in September 2024, you will need to be UKIMS authorised. The registration process for UKIMS is now open. You can find out more about the requirements for the scheme here.

Trader Support Service (TSS) Webinar

On 12 June 2023, the TSS delivered a webinar that provided an overview of the Windsor Framework. This included information on the changes that will accompany this agreement, including the benefits that will be introduced as part of the new green lane movements. The session also included fictitious trade examples to demonstrate how these changes will apply in different scenarios as the buyer or seller of goods. View a recording of the webinar here.

Source: Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy