Brexit and Beyond

05 October 2026

The UK-EU relationship was back in the media last week following the Prime Minister’s speech at the Labour Party Conference. We look at reaction to what he said about options for the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU.  

We also take a closer look at the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee's evidence session on the new EU Union Customs Code regulation and the expected local impact.  

We report back on last week’s Assembly Business and look ahead to what’s coming up in plenary and Committee meetings this week, as well as debates in the European Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.    

And as always, we link you through to the recent news stories and items of interest you may have missed.      

• Assembly Round-up 
• To fee or not to fee: Committee examines new Union Customs Code  
• PM sets sights on settling long-term relationship with EU
• This week in the Assembly 
• Parliamentary Planner  
• In case you missed it… 

 Assembly Round-up

The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA was in the chamber on Monday for Question Time where he was asked to outline any engagement that he has had with the new British Prime Minister regarding the provision of an increased financial support package for farmers, the environment and rural communities.  Informing Members that he continues to engage with his ministerial counterparts, including in Defra, Mr. Muir emphasised: “The fundamental issue is that Northern Ireland needs a fair funding settlement.”

The Minister also pointed out that EU exit had led to increased pressures on his department: “The EU exit has created an awful lot of bureaucracy, and we needed to create many more positions.”  The Minister added: “It also stunted growth in the wider UK. Leaving the EU was a really bad idea. If people cannot see that, they are living under a rock.”

Mr. Muir was also asked for his assessment of the nature and scale of the threat to the local community posed by fires at the Clearway Disposals scrap metal and car recycling facility in Belfast (where the most recent fire in September 2026 is thought to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery).  Responding, the Minister said that: “The issue of lithium ion batteries is of growing concern, not just in Northern Ireland but across the waste management sector more widely.”  He added that: “A consultation on the implementation of the EU's batteries regulation and wider UK policy alignment is expected later this year and will help to inform any future policy interventions.”

During Question Time on Tuesday, the Minister for Communities was asked by Deirdre Hargey MLA to outline the steps he is taking to protect the community and voluntary sector following cuts resulting from the move from the Shared Prosperity Fund to the local growth fund. Miss Hargey told Members that: “The move from the European social fund (ESF) to the Shared Prosperity Fund and now the local growth fund has resulted in a 77% cut in employment and skills support programmes, which has led to significant job losses and over 8,000 people losing support.”  

The Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA, told Members that the Executive had: “...collectively pressed the [UK] Government for greater local flexibility and more resource funding to support resource-intensive interventions.” Regarding cross-departmental work to mitigate impacts of cuts, the Minister added that the Department of Finance is leading on a cross-Executive design process and pointed to the Pathways to Work project as an example of collaboration between the Department for Communities, the Department for the Economy and the Department of Health.  

 At its meeting on Wednesday, the Committee for the Economy considered the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (Exclusions from Market Access Principles: (Glass Container Drinks in Wales) Regulations 2026. We discussed the background to this regulation in last week’s Brexit and Beyond. The Committee noted that it was content to agree the regulation.  

On Thursday, the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs took evidence from Departmental officials on The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026.  

As reported in last week’s Brexit and Beyond, the Statutory Rule introduces a right of appeal against specified departmental enforcement decisions on plant protection products, ensuring compliance with Article 7 of the Official Controls Regulation under the Windsor Framework. The amendment addresses a gap in the 2020 Regulations, reducing the risk of legal challenge and ensuring full implementation of the regulatory requirements.  

Following a short discussion and questions from Members, the Committee agreed that it had no objection to the Statutory Rule, subject to the Annual Statutory Report.  

You can watch all Assembly plenary and Committee meetings live or via catch-up here. 

 To fee or not to fee: Committee examines new Union Customs Code  

The Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny (DSC) Committee was back in Parliament Buildings on Thursday, when Members took evidence from Mark McGregor, Head of Trade, Windsor Framework, Department for the Economy on Regulation (EU) 2026/2108 establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013. (Readers will recall we have covered the Union Customs Code in previous editions of Brexit and Beyond, most recently on 1 September.)

Opening Thursday’s evidence session, Mr. McGregor told the Committee that the new regulation repeals and replaces the existing Customs Code as well as the core EU Framework governing customs rules and procedures. He explained that among the main elements included in the reform would be the establishment of an EU Customs Authority, as well as a £2 handling fee for e-commerce items expected from 1 November 2026.  

In relation to the £2 handling fee, Mr. McGregor told Members that HMRC had confirmed that: “…goods considered not at risk of entering the EU and moving under the Windsor Framework facilitations are unaffected and are therefore not subject to the EU Customs duty or the handling fee.” He added that this included: “…movement from businesses outside the UK and the EU to consumers in Northern Ireland, that move under the UK Carrier Scheme.” 

Mr. McGregor said that based on the information currently available, the Department for the Economy had not identified evidence that application of the regulation would be likely to have a significant impact, specific to the everyday life of communities in Northern Ireland, in a way that is likely to persist.  

Concluding his evidence to the Committee, Mr. McGregor said: “…this is a major but phased platform of customs modernisation, Windsor Framework facilitations are not intended to be undermined.” He added that the Department would continue to engage with HMRC as arrangements develop.  

Following further discussion and questions from Members, the Committee agreed that it would hold an inquiry into the published replacement act, you can find further detail and respond to the inquiry here. You can also watch Thursday’s meeting in full here. 

 PM sets sights on settling long-term relationship with EU  

^{_{© Prime Minister Andy Burnham holds media interviews in No10 North. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street}}

In his speech to the Labour Party Conference last Tuesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that “Brexit has done more harm than good” and emphasised that the UK needs to decide on its long-term relationship with the EU.  

The PM told the Conference that, around the upcoming UK-EU summit, he would: “…lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners … And I will see if we can find consensus around one [option] which will give us clarity about our position, and the future of the continent we live in.”

The PM outlined some of these options in media interviews the following morning, including maintaining current arrangements; forming a customs union; joining the Single Market; or full EU membership.  

Writing in the Spectator, James Heale arguedthat Mr. Burnham “clearly has no idea what kind of relationship he wants” and suggests the PM is putting himself “…at the mercy of European leaders just as nationalists are rising across the continent”.

In an article for the Irish Times (paywall), Denis Staunton reflected that, “Burnham’s readiness to rip up Keir Starmer’s red lines on Europe and consider all the options is an important moment in Britain’s effort to deal with the consequences of Brexit.”

Jill Rutter, writing for the Institute for Government, observed that all of the options referenced by the PM are “ones that the EU has said in the past could be on offer to the UK, as long as it was prepared to take on the obligations in order to enjoy the rights they bring.” She contrasted this with the situation following the Brexit referendum when UK politicians “wasted a lot of time” on options that the EU was not prepared to put on the table.  

Joel Reland, Senior Researcher at the UK in a Changing Europe, pointed out that the PM’s speech omitted mention of “his biggest EU preoccupation up to now: the emerging ‘Made in Europe’ industrial policy” but noted this is not an issue which can be ignored for long.  

The Telegraph summarised initial reaction from selected EU member states in an article,Germany: We’ll do everything we can to get Britain back into EU (paywall).

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports (paywall) that the UK-EU summit has been pencilled in for 20 November. 

 This week in the Assembly 

On Thursday, the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will hear from the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster, as Members continue to take evidence on the Areas with Natural Constraints (Payments) Bill.  

The Committee will also consider an SL1 on The Hemp (Third Country Import) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. Amendments to the existing legislation, The Hemp (Third Country Import) Regulations 2002, are required following an update to EU rules on hemp imports which are directly applicable in Northern Ireland under Annex 2 of the Windsor Framework.  

The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs consulted with stakeholders on the key changes that the draft amendments will introduce to the domestic regulations from 7 July – 1 September 2026. 

 Parliamentary Planner  

The European Parliament  

This week, the European Parliament will hold its plenary session in Strasbourg.  Later today, the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield will hold an Exchange of views with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence of Ireland, on the priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.  

On Tuesday, the European Parliament will hold a key debate re: Preparation of the European Council meeting of 15-16 October 2026.  

The Scottish Parliament 

On Tuesday, during Chamber Business, there will be a Scottish Government Debate on: Scotland’s Prosperity and Future in Europe. You can watch the debate via Scottish Parliament TV.  

 In case you missed it… 

• The Irish Times reported on 1 October: ‘Made in Europe’ rules should not ‘undermine’ UK relations, Britain’s new envoy tells EU. The outlet reports the UK ambassador to EU Caroline Wilson cautions against bloc becoming ‘insular and inward-facing’.