UK GOV AND EU MUST SAFEGUARD NI HOSPITALITY SECTOR SUPPLY CHAIN

11 November 2021

British Government and European Union must agree to safeguard Northern Ireland’s Hospitality sector supply chain says Hospitality Chief as latest analysis highlights challenges.

Hospitality Ulster is urging the British Government to refrain from triggering Article 16 and the European Union to recognise the relative low risk of the food service supply chain to the single market, and to compromise as negotiations intensify to secure a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Recent analysis conducted by Hospitality Ulster shows that there are already significant issues arising for the sector in terms of the food service supply.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster said:

“We are already experiencing difficulties in our supply chain and we need to ensure that any agreement between the EU and the British Government is fair and viable for our local wholesalers and the wider economy.”

“Now is the time for both sides to listen to our business community who work and trade across GB-ROI lines every day and understand what is required to ensure barriers are lifted and businesses can access supplies and resources in a timely, consistent manner. It is not the time for Article 16 to be triggered, nor is it the time for the EU to have red lines on movement of goods that do not place the EU single market at risk, or impose unworkable regulatory barriers to GB – NI – ROI trade. It will be our businesses that suffer if this cannot be agreed.”

“Hospitality Ulster is calling on the British Government and the EU to facilitate the continued operation of our food service supply chain by developing solutions that understand the scale of risk, but that can actually be delivered by our NI wholesalers that form our vital supply chain.”