UK and EU Reach a Deal on Northern Ireland Border

The UK and EU have reached agreement on how rules in the Brexit divorce deal relating to Northern Ireland's borders will work in practice.

 This is a Brexit breakthrough.

 The two sides have reached an "agreement in principle" on issues including border control posts and the supply of medicines.

The British government says it will now withdraw controversial sections in its Internal Market Bill.

The bill had threatened to jeopardise ongoing post-Brexit trade talks.

The details of the agreement have not yet been published, but are expected to be rubber stamped before the end of the month.

They will apply regardless of whether the two sides agree a deal to govern their trading relationship after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.

 The Brexit withdrawal agreement - or divorce deal - sets out the details of the UK's exit from the EU, which took place earlier this year.

Northern Ireland is the only land border between the UK and the EU.

Under an arrangement known as the Northern Ireland protocol - which is part of the withdrawal agreement - from January, goods will not need to be checked along the Irish border and the region will continue to enforce the EU's customs product standards rules.

 The agreement follows talks in Brussels between Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, which have taken place alongside the negotiations over a free trade agreement.

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