Delay in implementing new post-Brexit customs rules for parcels
Two key parts of the Windsor Framework, which were meant to start in October, have been delayed until 2025
Two key elements of the Windsor Framework, a Brexit agreement outlining trade rules between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, have been postponed until at least March 2025. These processes, affecting parcels and freight, were originally planned to start in October 2024, but the EU has agreed to the delay.
The Windsor Framework was designed to tackle post-Brexit trade challenges, especially for business-to-business parcel deliveries, which were set to face new customs checks. These changes aim to simplify the Northern Ireland Protocol while ensuring goods don't enter the EU market illegally. However, many businesses are still unclear about what the new rules mean for them.
In other changes, starting in January 2025, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will take over the approval of medicines across both Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, replacing the current EU approval system.
This will introduce a new two-category system for medicines:
- Category 1: Governed by UK law
- Category 2: Still under some EU regulations, particularly for drug safety monitoring.
Although necessary under the Windsor Framework, this new system has raised concerns about adding complexity for businesses.
The UK government is working on measures, like flexible labelling requirements, to help companies adjust, and the MHRA continues to update its guidance.