Section 8C — Power in connection with Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in withdrawal agreement

(1) [F1 A Minister of the Crown may by regulations make such provision as the Minister considers appropriate—]

(a) [F1 to implement the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in the withdrawal agreement,]

(b) [F1 to supplement the effect of section 7A in relation to the Protocol, or]

(c) [F1 otherwise for the purposes of dealing with matters arising out of, or related to, the Protocol (including matters arising by virtue of section 7A and the Protocol).]

(2) [F1 Regulations under subsection (1) may make any provision that could be made by an Act of Parliament (including modifying this Act).]

(3) [F1 Regulations under subsection (1) may (among other things) make provision facilitating the access to the market within Great Britain of qualifying Northern Ireland goods.]

(4) [F1 Such provision may (among other things) include provision about the recognition within Great Britain of technical regulations, assessments, registrations, certificates, approvals and authorisations issued by—]

(a) [F1 the authorities of a member State, or]

(b) [F1 bodies established in a member State,]

[F1 in respect of qualifying Northern Ireland goods.]

(5) [F1 Regulations under subsection (1) may (among other things) restate, for the purposes of making the law clearer or more accessible, anything that forms part of domestic law by virtue of section 7A and the Protocol.]

(5A) [F1 [F2 Regulations under subsection (1) may not amend, repeal or otherwise modify the operation of section 47 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (“the 2020 Act”), except by making—]]

(a) [F1 [F2 provision of the sort that is contemplated by section 47(2) of the 2020 Act (permitted checks);]]

(b) [F1 [F2 provision under subsection (6);]]

(c) [F1 [F2 provision of the sort described in paragraph 21(b) of Schedule 7 (supplementary and transitional provision etc) in connection with—]]

(i) [F1 [F2 provision within either of the preceding paragraphs;]]

(ii) [F1 [F2 Articles 5 to 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol ceasing to apply (and the resulting operation of section 55(1) of the 2020 Act).]]

(6) [F1 A Minister of the Crown may by regulations define “qualifying Northern Ireland goods” for the purposes of this Act.]

(7) [F1 In this section any reference to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland includes a reference to—]

(a) [F1 any other provision of the withdrawal agreement so far as applying to the Protocol, and]

(b) [F1 any provision of EU law which is applied by, or referred to in, the Protocol (to the extent of the application or reference),]

[F1 but does not include the second sentence of Article 11(1) of the Protocol (which provides that the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland may continue to make new arrangements that build on the provisions of the Belfast Agreement in other areas of North-South cooperation on the island of Ireland).]

Amendment notes

1. F1 S. 8C inserted (19.5.2020) by European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (c. 1), ss. 21, 42(7) (with s. 38(3), Sch. 5 para. 66); S.I. 2020/518, reg. 2(i)
2. F2 S. 8C(5A) inserted (31.12.2020) by United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (c. 27), ss. 55(3), 59(3) (with s. 55(1)); S.I. 2020/1621, reg. 2(l)