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<p>Only the absolute minimum (less than 3%) of EU law continues to apply in Northern
Ireland, to avoid a hard border and maintain Northern Ireland's unique access to the
EU market, alongside its unfettered access to the UK internal market. Those rules
which do apply on goods are applied to goods produced in Northern Ireland. But this
reflects what we have heard time and again is the balance businesses want in order
to prosper:</p><p>- Companies producing for their most important market in Great Britain
will retain completely unfettered access to the UK market in all scenarios.</p><p>-
There are many areas of goods rules within the scope of the old Protocol where no
international or EU standards apply - in retail sectors like jewellery, clothes, homeware,
footwear and furniture, covering a quarter of Northern Ireland manufacturers. In those
cases UK national rules set the standards for goods on the market in Northern Ireland.</p><p>-
Elsewhere in manufacturing, it is international standards which apply in practice,
with commitments from the UK and EU in the TCA to maintain them.</p><p>- Fourthly,
in agrifood, the rules in place reflect longstanding arrangements and integrated supply
chains. But through this agreement they now do so within a dual regime - with retail
trade into Northern Ireland able to use UK food safety standards and flow smoothly.</p><p>-
This dual regime is also consistent with existing devolution arrangements, which mean
it is entirely possible constitutionally to have different standards across the UK.
Those differences are accommodated through the market access principle in the UK Internal
Market Act 2020, enabling goods made in one market to be sold in another, even if
rules differ across the different nations. That principle will be protected and strengthened
under this deal</p><p>This is a pragmatic form of dual-regulation - resolving real-world
barriers, and recognising UK standards in critical areas like agrifood retail trade
and medicines supplies; while protecting the market access, and longstanding arrangements,
of Northern Ireland producers.</p>
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