Implications of Irish border arrangements on future trade policy examined

• Watch Parliament TV: Implications of arrangements for Ireland - Northern Ireland border for wider UK Trade Policy
• Inquiry: Implications of arrangements for Ireland - Northern Ireland border for wider UK Trade Policy
• International Trade Committee 

Witnesses

Wednesday 4 July 2018, Wilson Room, Portcullis House

At 10.00am

• Fadi Hakura, Associate Fellow, Europe Programme, Chatham House
• Dr. Hasan Turunç, Director, Turkish Industry and Business Association, London Representative Office

At 11.00am

• Dr Andrew Grainger, Director, Trade Facilitation Consulting
• Tim Morris, Chief Executive, UK Major Ports Group
• Nick Platts, Head of Cargo, Heathrow Airport

As both the UK and Ireland are presently EU Members, they are members of the EU Single Market and Customs Union, and adhere to the four fundamental freedoms of the EU: movement in goods, services, labour and capital. As such, trade between Ireland and the UK is presently frictionless. In addition, Ireland and the UK have a Common Travel Area (CTA), which is a special border-free zone comprising the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The Government has committed to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland once the UK has left the European Union, and the Committee's inquiry is examining the possible implications of arrangements for the border for wider UK Trade Policy.

First panel

In this session, the Committee will hear evidence from Fadi Hakura, Associate Fellow at the Chatham House Europe Programme, and Dr. Hasan Turunç, Director of the Turkish Industry and Business Association London Representative Office. They will provide insight into the functioning of the Bulgaria-Turkey border, as an example of an EU external border.

Second panel

The Committee will then hear from Dr Andrew Grainger, Director of Trade Facilitation Consulting; Tim Morris, Chief Executive of the UK Major Ports Group; and Nick Platts, Head of Cargo at Heathrow Airport. This second panel will focus on current checks on goods at Heathrow and UK ports, as well as on wider approaches to trade facilitation.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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