LONDON - The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) agreed to a deal on Monday fine-tuning the post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland, breaking years of impasse.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British prime minster Rishi Sunak met in Windsor, outside London, to seal the agreement which has been in the making for months.

Unveiling the Windsor Framework, Mr Sunak said it was a “major breakthrough” that would solve the long-running problem of the Northern Ireland protocol.

The EU chief also hailed the deal as a “new chapter” as she outlined plans for the UK to join the bloc’s £80bn Horizon science research programme.

What does the ‘Windsor Framework’ mean for Northern Ireland?

The “Windsor framework” - a post-Brexit agreement between the UK and the EU on trade arrangements for Northern Ireland - has been struck between Rishi Sunak and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Under the new deal, goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will travel through a “green lane.” Goods will travel in the “red lane” if they move on to the EU.

It also removes the need for customs paperwork for those sending parcels to friends and family in Northern Ireland, and means that EU VAT rules could be applied in Northern Ireland.

However, The DUP has warned that “key issues of concern” remain over the new Brexit agreement.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described his deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland as a “decisive breakthrough” and many Tory MPs have given their backing to the agreement.

While the DUP acknowledged “significant progress”, leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would study the legal text before deciding whether to support the deal. His party won’t be “rushed or pushed” into a hasty decision, he told the Belfast Telegraph.