NICVA welcomes Brexit deal progress and calls on all to avoid the disaster of a No Deal
NICVA welcomes the significant step forward made by the draft EU withdrawal agreement towards addressing many key issues of concern for Northern Ireland and avoiding the disastrous scenario of a No Deal Brexit.
Whilst many issues remain to be clarified, including the status of citizens’ rights post Brexit, the progress made by the draft deal is welcome, and the alternative of a No Deal Brexit unthinkable. A No deal Brexit would immediately give rise to the worst potential negative impacts of Brexit which NICVA has been raising concerns about for over two years, namely -
- The immediate requirement for a ‘hard’ border on the island of Ireland, creating a focus for ongoing tension and division and threatening our hard won peace and stability. Claims that an entirely invisible border could be created using technology have been shown to be unfounded. The NI Affairs Committees concluded in March after an in-depth investigation that, ‘We have ………had no visibility of any technical solutions, anywhere in the world, beyond the aspirational, that would remove the need for physical infrastructure at the border.”
- Immediate increased costs, restrictions and uncertainties for the NI economy and public finances. This includes new barriers to cross-border and wider trade with the EU which accounts for 60% of NI’s exports[1], and uncertainty over the loss of the c.£500M/yr of EU funding and farming subsidy payments which NI currently receives. 87% of farming income in Northern Ireland comes from EU CAP subsidy payments. This represents a major gap to be filled from already overstretched public budgets.
- The immediate loss of many of the rights of EU citizenship and massive uncertainty about what domestic legal rights protections will remain, including rights and protections guaranteed under the Good Friday Agreement
- An end to the current underpinning basis for cross-border/all island healthcare provision, whether for emergency or planned treatments, and no clarity about what health services will be accessible to citizens across the border. Many in the health sector also fear potential shortages of drugs and delays in receiving new drugs licensed by the EU, once the EU licensing function leaves its current home in the UK
- An end to EU environmental standards and protections and their legal enforcement to manage the many aspects of our environment that span borders including the water quality of our rivers and seas, the disposal of waste and the protection of our wildlife, with no clarity about, and limited plans for what will replace these
NICVA calls on the UK government to avoid No deal at all costs and indeed any Brexit deal that would leave Northern Ireland (and the UK) to suffer the substantial negative effects above.
[1] https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmniaf/48/4804.htm
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NICVA Brexit Articles Timeline
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19 Mar 2021Brexit and Your Rights webinar
10 Dec 2020Sustainable Development Goals Forum
26 Feb 2020NICVA's New Year's Round Up
6 Jan 2020A Common Purpose for Our Environment
19 Dec 2019Advice for Brexit Preparation
4 Oct 2019Brexit Updates and #NoToNoDeal
6 Sep 2019This is no time to suspend Parliament
28 Aug 2019Brexit, Boris and the Backstop: June Update
25 Jun 2019EU Settlement Scheme Explainer
13 Nov 2018What does a no-deal Brexit mean?
30 Aug 2018Department of Health Brexit update, July 2018
11 Jul 2018Dominic Raab appointed Brexit Secretary
9 Jul 2018June Brexit Update
27 Jun 2018May 2018 Brexit Update
15 May 2018The Latest on Brexit
15 Mar 2018Anniversary of Article 50 #5BrexitQs
6 Mar 2018Update on the EU Withdrawal Bill
19 Feb 2018UK-EU Brexit Deal…. What are the details?
11 Dec 2017Brexit case studies - can you help?
6 Oct 2017NICVA Position Paper on Brexit
24 Jul 2017Brexit Engagement: Justice
5 Jun 2017Five key messages as Brexit negotiations go live
29 Mar 2017Brexit – How will it affect you?
22 Feb 2017Brexit White Paper. Too Long; Didn't Read
3 Feb 2017Theresa May Brexit Speech – What did we learn?
18 Jan 2017First Brexit Roundtable with Secretary of State
16 Dec 2016Impact of Brexit and Rights on NI
14 Oct 2016Assembly Oral Questions on Brexit
10 Oct 2016NICVA meet with Minister for Exiting the EU
7 Oct 2016NICVA Update on EU Referendum.
1 Jul 2016Why is NICVA supporting In?
25 May 2016NICVA support remain position in EU Referendum
25 May 2016EU Referendum and the VCSE sector
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