Britain is to adopt EU rules that ban all but a single type of mobile charger over fears of creating a new “phone border” in the Irish Sea.
Ministers have published plans to enforce a single charger type, called USB-C, following in the footsteps of legislation passed by Brussels.
The ban will come into force in Northern Ireland later this year because it has to automatically adopt swathes of EU regulation.
Eurosceptics said plans to adopt it UK-wide show how the Windsor Framework is resulting in alignment with EU rules “through the back door”.
Mark Francois, chairman of the European Research Group, said: “When the Windsor Framework was published, some of us warned that it would allow the EU to use influence over Northern Ireland as the ‘tail wagging the dog’ to create wider regulation across the whole UK — and this is a perfect example of exactly that.
“Labour clearly believe we should become a rule-taker from Brussels again, they just don’t have the honesty to admit it.”
‘Northern Ireland is in limbo’
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former Tory leader, added: “This is exactly what those of us who opposed the whole idea of the Windsor Framework said would happen.
“We’ve left Northern Ireland in limbo. They’re now subject to EU law and it makes problems like this, so then we have to change the law for the whole of the UK.
“This is the example of how, through the backdoor, the EU controls us.”
Lord Dodds, a former deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said the change showed the Government was trying to “disguise” how the Brexit deal had cut Northern Ireland off from the rest of the UK.
“This is a classic illustration of how in effect the UK Government is being forced to adopt EU rules to try and disguise the fact that Northern Ireland is no longer part of the UK market — and avoid a situation where some products available in GB are no longer available in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“The Government has not even mentioned the reason why this is being done. Such evasion on the Protocol/Windsor Framework is now commonplace as no one wants to admit the extent of EU intrusion in UK affairs.”
‘Environmental benefits’
The Office for Product Safety and Standards, a quango within the Business Department, has published a call for evidence on making the change.
In the dossier it argues that adopting a single type of charger would “potentially help businesses and deliver consumer and environmental benefits”.
The document mentions that the EU has passed the same rule, but does not once refer to the fact that it is set to be applied in Northern Ireland.
Brussels has passed a law stating that all new devices such as mobile phones, tablets, cameras and headphones must use a USB-C charger.
It is set to come into force on Dec 28 and will apply immediately in Northern Ireland.
Sources have told The Telegraph that fears over a fresh product border in the Irish Sea were the real reason behind Government plans to follow suit.
But officials are understood to have objected to any reference to the fact in the paper, blocking the naming of Northern Ireland as a key factor.
The proposals were initially drawn up by civil servants under the last Tory government, but are now being proceeded with under Labour.
Conservative ministers had previously said they were not considering mirroring the EU rules, amid concerns they will place an unnecessary burden on businesses and stifle the development of new products.