Purpose

The Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol has been one of the most contentious aspects of the EU-UK post-Brexit trade relationship. By requiring the UK to comply with EU customs and internal market rules in relation to Northern Ireland (NI), the Protocol has created a hybrid trade regime where NI is subject to multiple, overlapping and often conflicting rules. This paper aims to examine one area in which this hybridity manifests itself. It focusses on the interplay between the Protocol and post-Brexit UK trade agreements. It examines potential areas of conflict between Protocol obligations and obligations derived from UK trade agreements. In doing so, it sheds light on the extent to which compliance with the Protocol may undermine NI’s ability to export and import goods under the preferential terms negotiated under UK trade agreements. It further discusses the consequences of these incompatibilities between the Protocol and these agreements for NI and, more widely, the functioning of the UK internal market as whole.

Design/methodology/approach

Doctrinal legal research

Findings

The paper examines potential areas of conflict between Protocol obligations and obligations derived from UK trade agreements. In doing so, it sheds light on the extent to which compliance with the Protocol may undermine NI’s ability to export and import goods under the preferential terms negotiated under UK trade agreements. It further discusses the consequences of these incompatibilities between the Protocol and these agreements for NI and, more widely, the functioning of the UK internal market as whole.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first paper carrying out a comprehensive legal analysis of the interaction and potential conflicts between the Protocol on Ireland-Northern Ireland and the UK’s post Brexit trade agreements.

中文翻译：

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北爱尔兰的混合贸易制度：爱尔兰-北爱尔兰议定书与英国脱欧后贸易协定之间关系的考察

目的

爱尔兰-北爱尔兰议定书一直是英国脱欧后欧盟与英国贸易关系中最具争议的方面之一。通过要求英国遵守与北爱尔兰 (NI) 有关的欧盟海关和内部市场规则，该协议创建了一个混合贸易制度，其中 NI 受到多重、重叠且经常相互冲突的规则的约束。本文旨在研究这种混合性表现出来的一个领域。它重点关注该议定书与英国脱欧后贸易协定之间的相互作用。它研究了议定书义务与英国贸易协定衍生的义务之间的潜在冲突领域。在此过程中，它揭示了遵守该协议可能会在多大程度上损害NI根据英国贸易协定谈判的优惠条款进出口货物的能力。它进一步讨论了协议和这些协议之间的不兼容性对 NI 以及更广泛的英国内部市场整体运作的影响。

设计/方法论/途径

理论法律研究

发现

本文探讨了议定书义务与英国贸易协定衍生义务之间的潜在冲突领域。在此过程中，它揭示了遵守该协议可能会在多大程度上损害NI根据英国贸易协定谈判的优惠条款进出口货物的能力。它进一步讨论了协议和这些协议之间的不兼容性对 NI 以及更广泛的英国内部市场整体运作的影响。

原创性/价值

据作者所知，这是第一篇对《爱尔兰-北爱尔兰议定书》与英国脱欧后贸易协定之间的相互作用和潜在冲突进行全面法律分析的论文。