The Northern Ireland minister, Steve Baker, says he is "delighted, hand-on-heart glad to accept the whole thing", referencing the new post-Brexit deal.

"I am incredibly proud of this achievement," he adds, which he says works "for Ireland, for the EU, for the Eurosceptics and for the unionists".

He says he explained this to the European Research Group (ERG) but adds that they can't be rushed, "just as the DUP can't be rushed".

"Imagine you're sending something to the Isle of Wight, which involves a ferry... just as there would be some commercial information being shared with the ferry operator, the same will happen to Northern Ireland," he says, explaining there will be a system that will make sure this "normal commercial information" is shared with the EU.

There will be no extra process for online retailers, Baker says.

"From the point of view of someone who sends a parcel, that will just go without any process," he adds.

Shipping to Northern Ireland will be just like shipping to the Isle of Wight, Baker says.

"This restores the place of NI in the union. It's great news."

Image source, PA Media

In the last few moments, we've just had the first photos of King Charles meeting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

He welcomed her to Windsor Castle following the post-Brexit deal announced by Rishi Sunak earlier this afternoon.

Jessica Parker
Brussels correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

This is being hailed as a new chapter in the EU and the UK’s “partnership”, post-Brexit.

Watching Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen at today’s joint press conference, this certainly feels a world away from some of the low points of recent years.

Mistrust and frustration has, at times, characterised the relationship.

The Northern Ireland Protocol – and fundamental disagreements about how to implement it – became a central roadblock for moving that relationship on.

Brussels suspected London of signing a deal that it never intended to stick to. London accused Brussels of being utterly inflexible on its approach to possibly the most sensitive aspect of the original Brexit divorce deal.

The arguments, at times, seemed to go round in circles. But today you saw two leaders at least trying to sing from the same hymn sheet.

The Windsor Framework has arrived, with the government publishing the various legal documents here, external.

PM Rishi Sunak said MPs will get to vote on the new deal after having time to digest it.

We'll be combing through the details of the framework and bringing you what it all means, so stay with us.

Fresh from her press conference with Rishi Sunak, EU leader Ursula von der Leyen has been greeted on the grounds of Windsor Castle as she gets ready to meet King Charles.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

John Campbell
NI Economics and Business Editor

A UK source says the Stormont brake will apply to amendments or additions to EU rules which currently apply in Northern Ireland, and not just brand new rules.

This is a significant advance from what is in the current Northern Ireland Protocol.

Scrutiny over functions and scope of Stormont brakepublished at 16:34 Greenwich Mean Time 27 February 2023

16:34 GMT 27 February 2023

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

Rishi Sunak made clear that EU law continues to apply to Northern Ireland and the European Court of Justice will therefore continue to have a role in interpreting it.

Some Tories and some in Northern Ireland have demanded that change - but the EU was never going to agree.

Under questioning, he said: “We all collectively share an ambition to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and that’s why there’s a role for EU law in Northern Ireland.”

But the prime minister drew attention to the fact there is an existing mechanism to test Northern Ireland’s “consent” and what he called “further democratic accountability” with the new “Stormont brake, which provides a very powerful mechanism for the Stormont institution to use when it has concerns".

Exactly how that functions and the scope of it will be important.

The pound has risen against the dollar as the UK and EU announced an agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The pound was up 1% or one cent against at the dollar from this morning at $1.2046.

The pound slipped back marginally after the PM started the news conference with Ursula von der Leyen.

The FTSE 100 stock market index was up 60 points or 0.7% at 7934.

As details of the Windsor Framework emerge, some of the bodies representing Northern Ireland's trade and businesses are reacting.

The NI Business Brexit Working Group, a collaboration of about 14 industry bodies, says it commends efforts made by both the UK and EU to find solutions to the protocol.

"Reaching an agreement is an important step in securing the stability and certainty businesses have been seeking," it says.

It has asked both bodies to continue with a "constructive, solutions-focused approach" as businesses adjust to the new arrangements.

In Londonderry, the Chamber of Commerce president, Selina Horshi, said they were hopeful about the deal.

"Above all, we are hopeful that this deal now paves the way for the full and speedy return of the Executive and Assembly at Stormont," Horshi added.

Image source, PA Media

Here's a quick recap of what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen said at their press conference just now.

Sunak hailed a “decisive breakthrough” with the EU regarding a future trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Von der Leyen described the Windsor Framework, as it is called, as “historic” and said it allowed both sides to begin a “new chapter”.

Sunak said the deal achieved three things:

• The removal of “any sense of border in the Irish sea”. He pledged a smoother and less bureaucratic flow of goods from the rest of the UK into Northern Ireland – using a system of green lanes and red lanes
• The enhanced availability of British products in Northern Ireland - including medicines. Sunak said a “landmark settlement” meant drugs approved by the UK regulator would be made available in Northern Ireland as well
• It also "safeguards sovereignty for Northern Ireland". Sunak said the NI Assembly would be able to stop EU goods laws applying in Northern Ireland - by using a “Stormont brake”. Von der Leyen stressed this was an emergency mechanism, and said the European Court of Justice would continue to have the final say on single market issues

The prime minister described the proposals as a “turning point” for Northern Ireland that would end uncertainty.

But he acknowledged that political parties would want to consider the proposals in detail. He said the UK Parliament would “have a vote at the appropriate time and that vote will be respected”.

Devil will be in the detail for unionistspublished at 16:08 Greenwich Mean Time 27 February 2023

16:08 GMT 27 February 2023

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

The prime minister presented this deal as carrying big changes which would remove many of the problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

It’s a turning point, he thinks, and he’s giving Northern Irish politicians time to digest and study it.

The detail will be crucial for unionists and Tory Brexiteers. A key concern among unionist communities has been the say Stormont has over rules applying in Northern Ireland.

The PM thinks he has an answer - “the Stormont brake". This will give MLAs a say over EU rules on goods applying there. They can pull a "brake" and the UK government would have a veto.

Again though, the specifics will be important for the parties who wanted to see something like this introduced. And we should get more later today.

John Campbell
BBC News NI Economics and Business Editor

As expected the government has confirmed that a system of green lanes and red lanes will be at the heart of its plan to ease the flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

British goods, which are staying in Northern Ireland, will use the green lane at NI ports, meaning they wouldn't have to be checked and would require minimal paperwork - though we still haven't seen the fine detail of how these will work in practice.

The prime minister's statement also suggested that existing "grace periods" - which for example mean that parcels don't require paperwork - will be made permanent.

Image source, .

The press conference has now finished, but here's a look at what the prime minister had to say.

Speaking from Windsor, Sunak hailed the "decisive breakthrough" as the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A reporter from Belgian newspaper Le Soir asks about the impact this agreement will have on science and research and whether trust has been restored between the UK and EU.

"This Windsor Framework is good news for scientists and researchers in the UK and EU," says Von der Leyen.

She is referring to the Horizon Europe programme - the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation.

Sunak says he looks forward to working with Von der Leyen on future matters, including climate change and migration.

Image source, PA Media

Von der Leyen is asked why Rishi Sunak has been able to strike a deal to change the protocol when his predecessor Boris Johnson could not.

The EU chief says there was a "very constructive attitude" to find solutions.

A bit more detail now on what Rishi Sunak had to say about MPs getting to vote on the new deal, which is called the "Windsor Framework".

Asked by the Express, Sunak confirms MPs will be given a vote on the deal "at the appropriate time," noting it will take “time for people to digest”.

Asked how he will persuade his Eurosceptic MPs to back his deal, he again recaps what he sees as the benefits and says it will make an "enormous difference" to people in Northern Ireland.

A reporter from Irish broadcaster RTÉ asks about unionists who want to be treated the same as any other part of the UK - but Northern Ireland is the only part that shares a border with the EU. Therefore, what will the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland be?

Sunak says that people in Northern Ireland will have the time and space to figure out what the new framework means for them but that he is confident they will see it delivers improvements on almost every aspect of their lives.

Sunak also talks about the Stormont brake as a mechanism that will provide reassurance to people in Northern Ireland that they are "in charge of their own destiny".

Von der Leyen says the ECJ will have the final say on single market issues but that the new framework has "worked hard" to add the new Stormont brake. She says however it remains an emergency mechanism that hopefully will not need to be used.

"Extensive consulations" will regulate the framework, she says.

She says that the EU is fully committed to safeguarding the Good Friday Agreeement and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

Many Conservative MPs - and others - were demanding a vote on this deal. The PM’s just confirmed they’ll get one in response to a media question.

But it might not come imminently. Rishi Sunak wants people to study the deal first

Image source, Reuters

It's over to questions from the press now - and first up is the BBC's political editor Chris Mason.

He asks whether if "after all this", the DUP still refuses to go back into government in Northern Ireland, will it amount to a failure?

Sunak says today "marks a turning point" for Northern Ireland, adding that the new Windsor Framework address the key issues people in the country have raised, such as the flow of food, and sovereingity. But he also says parties in the country should be given the time they need to consider the text of the new deal.

Von der Leyen, meanwhile, says what has been agreed is "historic". She says they've managed to find a way to "protect [all] our respective single markets".

Sunak says he'd like to add that the new framework will make an immediate, positive change to people's lives. That's what everyone involved wants, the PM says.

Von der Leyen says the new Windsor Framework is here to "benefit people in Northern Ireland and support all communities celebrating peace on the island of Ireland".

She says this signals a stronger EU-UK relationship with the two "standing shoulder to shoulder, now into the future."