Swann welcomes Joint UK-EU Agreement on parcel fees ahead of Parliamentary Partnership Assembly
South Antrim MP Robin Swann has welcomed the latest decisions confirmed by the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and EU Relations ahead of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee meeting on 10th November.
The upcoming Joint Declaration will ensure that "not at risk" parcels moving under Windsor Framework facilitation schemes to consumers in Northern Ireland will not be impacted by recently introduced EU handling fees, ensuring they pay no fees or charges.
However, Robin Swann has highlighted ongoing uncertainty surrounding the addition of new EU legislation under the Windsor Framework, specifically pointing to questions over how the AI Act will apply to Northern Ireland businesses and whether it could create future regulatory friction.
This progress also marks an important milestone leading up to the UK-EU Summit on 20 November in Brussels and comes ahead of the upcoming plenary session of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, where Robin Swann serves as the sole Northern Ireland Member of Parliament on the body.
Speaking following this announcement, Robin Swann said:
“I am pleased to see this practical progress being made ahead of the UK-EU Joint Committee. Ensuring that consumer parcels arriving into Northern Ireland are not burdened by EU handling fees or extra charges is a sensible and necessary step to protect local households from unwanted costs.
“While the resolution on parcel fees is welcome, there remains understandable uncertainty surrounding the application of the EU AI Act under the Windsor Framework. We must ensure that any new regulatory measures do not place unintended burdens on local firms or undermine Northern Ireland's position within the wider UK market.
“As the only Member of Parliament from Northern Ireland serving on the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, I look forward to pressing these issues and representing our local economic interests ahead of our next plenary session.”