The European Union has agreed to extend the grace period that allows people and businesses in Northern Ireland to purchase animal medicines from the rest of the United Kingdom for another three years.
European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said it was a “practical solution to a practical problem” while underlining the EU’s commitment to resolving the wider issues around the Northern Ireland protocol.
British foreign secretary James Cleverly welcomed the announcement which he said would offer “greater certainty” for the veterinary medicines industry in Northern Ireland.
Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland continues to be bound by EU rules on veterinary medicines even though they no longer apply in the rest of the UK.
Owen Doyle: World Rugby should leave the lineout alone and fix the scrum
Anjelica Huston: ‘There was no shame to having fun with playing women of a certain age’
‘Where I come from, people don’t do medicine. It’s not on your radar’: how a new generation of doctors is being trained
Secret Teacher: Too many school leaders bow to parent power. They bend the knee or rarely back their staff
The grace period – which allowed their continued purchase from the UK – had been due to come to an end at the end of the year. However, Mr Sefcovic said it will now run until December 2025.
It will also cover Cyprus and Malta.
“By extending the current arrangements to December 2025 we are giving ample time to adapt,” Mr Sefcovic said in a statement in Brussels.
“This is a practical solution to a practical problem and it underlines our genuine commitment to engaging constructively with the UK to find agreed solutions around the protocol.
“I therefore hope that we can carry today’s positive announcement into other areas of our discussion. I am convinced that there is a window of opportunity for a positive outcome for the benefit of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.”
The DUP expressed relief at the extension but said grace periods only represented a “sticking plaster” solution to the wider problems with the protocol.
MP Carla Lockhart, the party’s environment spokeswoman, said: “This whack-a-mole approach must stop. This agreement is only to 2025. The can has only been kicked down the road.
“What we need urgently is the EU and our government to find a new agreement that addresses these intolerable restrictions on the flow of goods within the UK.”
– PA
