Smart Border 0 Avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland for Customs control and the free movement of persons

In summary:

The first answer to the research question is:

There will be a need of a Customs and Border solution post-Brexit on 29 March 2019 at 23.00, regardless of political solution and Brexit negotiation results. It will have severe consequences if such a Customs and Border solution is not designed, developed and implemented to facilitate the movement of people and trade.

The second answer to the research question is:

It is possible to implement a Customs and Border solution that meets the requirements of the EU Customs legislation (Union Customs Code) and procedures, with expected post-Brexit volumes of cross-border people and goods, if using a combination of international standards, global best practices and state-of-the-art technology upgraded to a Smart Border 2.0 or similar solution.

1. INTRODUCTION

In examining the opportunities to avoid a hard border for customs controls and for the movement of persons, this paper:

1. 
   Provides data on the movement of persons and goods between the two parts of Ireland and the practical impact of a visible border between them;
   

2.
techniques for allowing disassociating customs control (including, submission of customs declarations, paying VAT and inspections) without hindering free movement of persons;

3. 
   Present case studies from other frequently crossed borders and which could be applied in the case of the Irish border;
   
4. 
   Proposes technical solutions to avoid a hard border for customs control and for free movement of persons on the island of Ireland while preserving the integrity of the EU legal order, the unity of its single market and the security of its customs union.
   

involves the incorporation of international standards and best practices as well as

Case studies are also presented that provide insights on measures currently in place and that can be built upon along the Ireland-Northern Ireland border.

Finally, the solution presented aims to be one that can be implemented regardless of the
EU. This solution needs to build on standards, technologies and best practices and take innovative approaches to solving border issues. It should also be scalable and can provide the basis for future UK - EU border relationships.

2.