The Government is chucking proper wedge (£200m) behind efforts to operationalise Irish Protocol, me in @FT with ⁦ @GeorgeWParker⁩ - tl:dr a big win for NI business groups but per ⁦ @ManufacturingNI⁩ ⁦ @MichaelAodhan⁩, lots to be sorted /1 https://on.ft.com/3kov8YC 

The business groups pushed very hard for U.K. Govt to pick up costs - so this is a big win. (Some more lily-livered GB biz groups might think they could learn from persistent straight-taking of Stephen Kelly, @ManufacturingNI @MichaelAodhan for retail S.Leheny @Freight_NI /2

But as Stephen Kelly says there’s still lots of unanswered Qs - which are being thrashed out by negotiatiors, particularly on SPS (animal health and Export Health Certificates) and VAT implementation - Given NI is EU regime for goods, U.K. for services /3

To get a sense of the new “border in the Irish Sea” the government tender document for the new Trader Support Service is an interesting read.

See here. http://bidstats.uk/tenders/2020/W31/731971750

First point. Lots of cash but super-tight deadlines. Am told work is already happening but LOTS to operationalise /4

Second. What happens after two years? Will costs get passed back to biz then? The guidance is unlikely - and if it’s working why would Govt rock the boat?? So I’d not fret too much on that. /5

But third point, this gives you idea of how much of a border this is - you’ll need EORI number, details for Safety and Security Declarations and other info on animal/plant/restricted products for submission to Customs Declaration Service (CDS)/6

Worth recalling that security declarations required on all goods (to EU included) after Govt refused to seek waiver that Swiss/Norway has in pursuits of clean break - 29 Mandatory fields! ( @BastidonPauline can tell you more). /7

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/03/08/truckers-face-paperwork-mountain-britain-opts-against-fast-track/

But the NI Protocol is what it is - and this looks like a really big step forward to making it actually work.

The hope is now that negotiations can reduce other frictions - as @MichaelAodhan says a supermarket fix would be big help.

But it is a new world, no escaping that ENDS