Member's statement: Union Customs Code
Member's statement by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on .
- MLA
- Dr Steve Aiken OBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 21 October 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Union Customs Code
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5197202
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The Union Customs Code (UCC) defines the legal framework for customs rules and procedures in the EU customs territory. It was introduced across the European Union in 2016, but, because of its complexities, a transition period was set to run originally until 2020 and has now been extended to a final date of 31 December 2025. The revisions of the new Union Customs Code will apply to Northern Ireland by the end of the year. The rules are mandatory, as detailed in the Community Customs Code Council regulation (EEC) No 2913/92. That is 72 days away. The existing provision of the customs rules, which covers every good in the single market, is not, to put it mildly, well understood by companies in Northern Ireland or GB companies that trade into this part of the United Kingdom. The extensive reports by Lord Murphy and the House of Lords Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee have made it clear that there is limited understanding and knowledge about how the Windsor framework should work. The Federation of Small Businesses was much starker: the reality is that the Windsor framework is not working, even in its current form. The Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee decided, for once, to be curious about the UCC. Bearing in mind the time available before it was introduced, we asked to speak to the head of our Northern Ireland Bureau in Brussels. We know how important it is for all of Northern Ireland, bearing in mind that we are about two months out. We were scheduled to speak to him this week. Anybody studying or looking at European trade bodies, think tanks and parliaments knows how seriously the changes to the UCC are being taken everywhere that the single market applies, except here. Inexplicably, OFMDFM has refused to sign off on the head of our Northern Ireland Bureau coming to speak to us. Our meeting on Thursday to discuss those vital changes has now been cancelled. Why? We complain about being denied information to conduct our scrutiny in the House, and it is beyond acceptable that our Executive think that they have more information and understanding than the House, particularly about the Windsor framework. Spoiler alert, Members: as the Windsor framework debacle has shown so far, they do not. It is 72 days and counting, and we are not doing well.
390 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.09 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.73).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.06 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.07 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.73 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.09 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.87 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.13 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:32 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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