Post-Brexit News and Discussions

[Time_Traveller]

Warning EU border system has lasting "negative impacts"

1 hour ago

The Port of Dover and ferry companies have warned of "serious and lasting negative impacts" if the EU's new border IT system is implemented this autumn.

It said if the current plans go ahead "communities, businesses and authorities" would suffer.

Under the delayed Entry Exit System, people entering the EU will have to register fingerprints, a photo and passport details.

Long queues have also been predicted.

Juxtaposed border controls mean French border police check passports as people leave the UK to cross the Channel from Dover, London St Pancras and Folkestone.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68099482

[Time_Traveller]

UK halts trade negotiations with Canada over hormones in beef ban

6 hours ago

The UK has stopped its trade talks with Canada, after nearly two years of negotiations on a post-Brexit agreement.

Trade between the two countries currently takes place under the terms of a deal the UK rolled over from its time as an EU member.

A time-limited agreement allowed the UK to continue to sell cars and cheese without high import taxes.

But talks about extending these as part of a new deal have now broken down.

It marks the first time the UK has formally suspended talks with a trade partner since formally leaving the EU trading regime in 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68098177

This is definitely one to keep an eye on the UK government as they could unban or find a loophole for the Canada Trade Agreement.

[Time_Traveller]

Stormont: Details of deal offered to DUP beginning to emerge

1 hour ago

It is still unclear whether the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is prepared to accept a deal from the government and return to Stormont.

But the contours of a possible deal are starting to emerge.

The DUP has been boycotting devolved government in protest at Northern Ireland's Brexit deal, now called the Windsor Framework

The party wants to see the end of the "Irish Sea border" - the post-Brexit trade frictions between GB and NI.

That is not going to happen but the government is offering measures to tackle its effects.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68113842

[Time_Traveller]

New Brexit rules and EU vet shortage put meat imports at risk

Sat 27 Jan 2024 12.39 GMT

A lack of vets in Europe could force meat suppliers in the EU to hold back deliveries earmarked for the UK under new post-Brexit rules set to come in this week, experts have warned.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has concerns that imports may be held back due to a shortage of vet availability in the European Union to carry out checks needed under the new rules.

Peter Hardwick, trade policy adviser at the BMPA, said he believed suppliers would “take the UK government’s rules at face value”, and he expected some big suppliers not to risk their stock or reputation by sending orders without a health certificate.

On Wednesday, the government will launch the first stage of its new border policy, which will overhaul the way plant and animal products can be imported from the European Union.

This stage of the “border target operating model” will require all meat and dairy exports to be checked by a vet within the European country before they can be sent to the UK. It requires vets to fill in a seven-page document certifying that the animal has been free of disease and has certain vaccinations. Currently, no health checks are required on imports.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/j ... ts-at-risk

[Time_Traveller]

DUP: Next days crucial for Stormont return, says Sinn Féin

10 minutes ago

The next days will be "crucial" for the return of Stormont, Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill has said.

On Monday, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) endorsed a deal to restore power sharing after a 23-month absence.

Its leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said there was a basis for Stormont's return, subject to laws being passed at parliament and a timetable agreement.

Monday night's private DUP meeting was leaked online via a recording device, BBC News NI understands.

Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday, Ms O'Neill, who is in line to be Stormont's first minister, said it was a "day of optimism".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68136950

[wjfox]

Post-Brexit controls on food and farm imports start

12 hours ago

Post-Brexit controls on food, plant and animal imports to Britain from the EU have come into force.

Health certificates will now be required on EU goods ranging from cut flowers, to fresh produce including meat, fruit and vegetables.

Some industry bodies raised concerns the rules could cause delays and push up costs, but others said they would help UK farmers be more competitive.

The government said its border model would "minimise burdens for traders".

The UK left the EU exactly four years ago, but it has taken some time for the government to implement new trade rules - legally required under the Brexit agreement - for goods travelling from the EU to the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68126880


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The usual lunacy from Andrea Leadsom:

[wjfox]

[Time_Traveller]

Eurostar may cap services due to post-Brexit biometric passport checks, says station owner

Sun 4 Feb 2024 12.17 GMT

Eurostar could be forced to limit passenger numbers travelling from St Pancras each day under post-Brexit plans to bring in biometric border controls later this year, the owner of the station has warned.

HS1, the owner and operator of the line and stations between London and the Channel tunnel, has raised concerns that planning for new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks at the London rail station are “severely inadequate”, and would lead to long delays and potential capping of services and passenger numbers.

The EES requires citizens from outside the EU or Schengen area to register before entering the zone.

This will replace the stamping of passports for UK travellers, and instead require passengers to enter personal information and details about their trip, as well as submitting fingerprint and a facial biometric data.

It has been mooted that the new checks will come into force in October but its implementation has been delayed several times in recent years because the infrastructure was not ready.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... tion-owner

[wjfox]

Letter: Lon­don food mar­ket boss urges Brexit rules rethink

13 HOURS AGO

The new post-Brexit bor­der checks set to come into effect in April are yet another dis­heart­en­ing example of politi­cians mak­ing policies without fully con­sid­er­ing the impact.

Over the years, the hos­pit­al­ity and food indus­tries have been stretched bey­ond belief by Brexit, the pan­demic and the cost of liv­ing crisis. These new changes to import rules will increase the num­ber of cross bor­der checks on EU food and drink cre­at­ing new chal­lenges, pro­long­ing the time it takes for products to arrive in the UK and poten­tially res­ult­ing in des­troyed plant, meat and dairy pro­duce.

The UK is one of the highest con­sumers of ultra-pro­cessed foods in the world. As founder of Lon­don’s first sus­tain­able com­munity food mar­ket, I fear European farm­ers and sup­pli­ers will think twice about export­ing fresh food to the UK, which means Brit­ish con­sumers will lose out on a vari­ety of produce, see an increase in prices and ulti­mately find it harder to access the healthy and nutri­tious food they need.

This couldn’t come at a worse time. The gov­ern­ment must recon­sider these new rules and focus their efforts on sup­port­ing an already stretched hosp­ital­ity sec­tor, as well as fam­il­ies who are doing their best to feed them­selves healthy and afford­able food.

Andrea Rasca
Founder and Chief Exec­ut­ive, Mer­cato Met­ro­pol­it­ano, Lon­don SE1, UK

https://www.ft.com/content/8635b468-f86 ... be6cae2094

[Time_Traveller]

Italian man removed from UK despite post-Brexit Home Office certificate

Thu 8 Feb 2024 13.01 GMT

An Italian man has been removed from the UK despite holding a Home Office certificate explicitly stating he has a right to travel in and out of the country while officials process his application to live and work in the country post-Brexit.

Massimiliano Melargo, 27, told how he was detained overnight, separated from his Ukrainian partner, and put on the first plane to Venice by Border Force officials in a step lawyers say contravenes the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK.

“I don’t feel great because I am away from my girlfriend, I have lost my job and I’m going to lose the deposit on my flat,” said Melargo.

He had left the country for a birthday holiday break in Finland and was originally told he would be removed to Helsinki when he was stopped at Gatwick.

He said he feared he could not come back to pick up his belongings or to visit his girlfriend of five years, or his sister, who has been in the country for 12 years.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ertificate