'Not For EU' labels on food packaging have been spotted in Northern Irish supermarkets, following more recent updated post-Brexit agreements for the region.
The amendments, which were made under the Northern Ireland retail movement scheme back in February 2023, were put in place to ensure that food isn't moved onwards into the EU - in places like the Republic of Ireland for example. The new scheme therefore allows pre-packaged retail goods, including meat and fresh produce, and certain loose goods such as fruit and vegetables, to be transported from Great Britain through a “green lane” to Northern Ireland. Businesses will be required to display such labels on labels for all meat and some dairy products that are moved to Northern Ireland from the start of October. The scheme will be rolled out to the rest of the UK in two phases by July 2025.
The new agreement supersedes one made back in 2019 by Boris Johnson, as part of which Northern Ireland remained inside the EU's single market for goods. This made trading more expensive and more complicated due to the creation of a sea border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland thanks to the open trade border. It caused checks and controls on products that arrived into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, which led to political instability and protests from the Democratic Unionist party.
Despite facing criticism for the old system, the government has still faced concerns about the introduction of dedicated packaging for products sold in Northern Ireland, stating that businesses haven't had enough time to adapt, and that it will add costs for consumers. They have since responded by stating that they may not fully enforce the rules in the initial period after introduction, and have also stated that “procedures will be in place” during the first few months of the new scheme to ensure that authorised food traders will be able to benefit from the green lane between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
