The noble Baroness is right: we are grateful that it is only a two-day gap. Should we not leave on 29 March, we may have a longer gap to contend with. However, we are working closely with the Commission and are very optimistic about getting a solution. Our preferred approach is to deposit a note verbale with the General Secretariat of the Council, stating that we propose that our accession be treated as coming into effect on the first day of exit. Once we have resolved that, we hope that we will be covered regardless of the length of the gap. That is particularly important for Northern Ireland, as I believe there are some major sporting events going on which will require lots of cross-border travel.
The Interbus agreement provides for liberalised occasional coach services—holidays, school trips and private tours between contracting parties. As I mentioned in my opening speech, those parties are the European Union and seven eastern European members. We intend to accede to the protocol of the agreement in our right regarding the international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus. The protocol to expand the service to regular services is in progress.
The noble Baroness points out that the process has been quite slow. It opened on 16 July 2018. As of 13 March, no contracting parties had signed the protocol. We need only four contracting parties; obviously we will be able to sign it once we become a contracting party. We think we will see other signatories join but, if it is not in place by 31 December, we could either negotiate an extension for regular and special regular passenger services with the EU, which are covered under the current EU regulation, or seek to put bilateral agreements in place. At the moment, we think Interbus is the best solution to provide regular services, but we have options if that is not the case.
2.15 pm
On Northern Ireland, the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Eames, asked about overlap. There is overlap in this. Regulations 4 to 8, which amend the European legislation, extend to the UK, and Regulations 2 and 3, which amend the domestic legislation, extend to Great Britain. The necessary changes to the domestic legislation in Northern Ireland are being introduced through a separate instrument, which is currently being considered by the scrutiny committees. This SI, taken together with the consequential SI for Northern Ireland, will effectively ensure that services can continue to operate. The noble Lord clearly states that they are incredibly important and we must ensure that they continue. That regulation provides a time-limited solution on the basis that we offer reciprocal rights to the EU, which is what this regulation does; taken together, they will allow services to continue. The EU regulation includes the ability for UK operators of regular services to undertake cabotage in the border counties until 30 September 2019. Of course, Northern Ireland operators will be able to operate occasional services into the Republic of Ireland once our membership of Interbus comes into effect.