With ongoing discussions between UK Brexit Minister, Lord Frost and European Commission Vice President, Maros Šefčovič, now at a critical stage, Newry Chamber, on behalf of its members, calls for certainty and stability.
Emma Mullen-Marmion, President of Newry Chamber said:
“Recent reports that the UK Government are preparing to trigger Article 16 is unhelpful and does nothing to offer confidence to our business community.”
“The NI Protocol is a consequence of Brexit, while parts of it will undoubtedly require practical adaptations. It may not be perfect but many of our members have already been successfully making it work for them.”
“We have had good engagement with both sides over the recent months. Both Lord Forst and Maros Šefčovič have visited Newry to better understand our issues. We have stressed that Newry’s prosperity depends on dual market access being maintained.”
“We know that extending grace periods is not the answer, but nor is triggering Article 16, due to our location close to the border and the fact that the whole island of Ireland is in practice our home market. This has a potentially devastating impact on our members.”
“We hope that as we approach the first anniversary of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, that through continued dialogue a compromise will be achieved. This is what the business community wants so they can have the certainty required to allow them to focus on growing the economy.”