Post-Brexit News and Discussions

[Time_Traveller]

[Time_Traveller]

UK government BANNED from EU trade talks after bypassing Brussels

2023-08-01 17:06

The British government has been rebuked after it attempted to bypass Brussels on post-Brexit trade rules.

Documents obtained by The Independent show that the European Commission was unhappy after British officials went directly to member states to ask how they plan to cope with new checks on goods coming into the UK.

Concerns have been raised that the food supply chain could be disrupted if businesses on the continent are ill-prepared for significant changes to how they trade with the UK.

The Border Target Operating Model will bring a new round of controls on goods from the EU from 31 October 2023, with consignments carrying goods considered medium or high risk, such as some meat, dairy and fish, requiring vet-signed export health certificates.

Rishi Sunak’s government has come under pressure from both the EU and British business bosses to spell out exactly how the latest controls on imports, due to come into force in October, will work.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/polit ... ls-353731/

[erowind]

This would give a competitive advantage to the EU, but the UK is also in a hole right now. The UK's government doesn't have to institute extra controls on imports from the EU when those controls weren't in place before. The quality of the products hasn't exactly changed. This is a self-created and self-perpetuating problem.

[Time_Traveller]

UK Government to Recognise the EU’s Product Safety Symbol Indefinitely

3 August 2023



In a significant post-Brexit climbdown, the UK government has decided to indefinitely recognize the European Union’s (EU) product safety symbol. Originally, the plan was to introduce a new UK-only mark for goods sold in Great Britain from the end of next year.
However, the Department for Business has now confirmed that the EU symbol, known as the conformité européenne (CE) mark, will continue to be accepted on most goods. This move has been welcomed by trade body Make UK, as it provides increased certainty for manufacturers. However, the government’s handling of the issue has been criticized for creating unnecessary costs due to last-minute policy changes.

Brexit and the Proposed Changes

Since 1993, the CE mark has been used to indicate that a wide range of products meet EU legal requirements and have undergone testing. For products sold in England, Wales, and Scotland, the plan was to replace the CE mark with a new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) symbol from December 2024. The CE mark was set to remain in Northern Ireland under separate Brexit arrangements. This approach would have forced manufacturers selling products in both Great Britain and the EU to comply with two different standards, leading to increased costs and potential divergence over time.

The government had previously defended the proposal, arguing that it would allow them to take control of goods regulation and ensure that regulations work for British businesses and consumers. However, the Department for Business has now announced that the CE mark will be recognized indefinitely in 18 areas, including toys, fireworks, lifts, radio equipment, and protective gear. This means that British firms will have the option to choose between using the new UKCA symbol or retaining the CE mark by applying to have their products certified by an accredited European body. Regulations for other areas, such as medical devices and construction equipment, will continue to be determined by other government departments.

The decision to recognize the CE mark indefinitely in certain areas has been described as a “pragmatic and common sense decision” by the manufacturers’ organization Make UK. They believe that this move will help safeguard the competitiveness of manufacturers and make the UK an attractive destination for investment. The Federation of Small Businesses also welcomes the continued recognition of CE marked products, as it allows their members to focus on growing their business both domestically and internationally.

However, industry representatives have criticized the government for its handling of the proposed changes. The frequent last-minute policy changes have created unnecessary uncertainty and cost for manufacturers. The introduction of the new system had been repeatedly delayed, with the government citing difficult economic conditions following the pandemic and the war in Ukraine as contributing factors.

https://bmmagazine.co.uk/news/uk-govern ... efinitely/

[wjfox]

[Time_Traveller]

Humza Yousaf: Independence can "right historic wrong" of Brexit

2nd Sep 2023

Speaking outside Holyrood, Humza Yousaf is due to tell the audience that Scotland can get “back on the right track” by rejoining the European Union.

He will describe Brexit as a “national tragedy” and appeal to Europeans who have settled in Scotland.

“The fact that it was forced upon Scotland against our will also makes it a democratic disgrace,” he is expected to say.

“To those of you with us today who are new Scots, who were born outside of Scotland, let us say this. Let us tell you how much we value you being here – how much we value the contribution you make to Scotland.

“We could not be what we are today without you and for as long as I can do anything about it, you will always be welcome here.”

https://www.scotsman.com/news/national/ ... it-4278186

[Time_Traveller]

David Cameron wants post-Brexit Gibraltar deal with Spain ‘as soon as possible’

1 day ago

The UK and Spain are close to agreeing a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar, the Spanish foreign minister has indicated.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said Lord Cameron had underlined the UK’s desire to get “a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar as soon as possible” during his discussion with counterpart Jose Manuel Albares.

Mr Albares first revealed he had been in crunch talks with Rishi Sunak’s new foreign secretary David Cameron on resolving the long-running row over trade and immigration arrangements.

He told Spanish media that he had spoken with Lord Cameron over the phone on Monday, and they had also agreed to meet in person during a Brussels summit on Tuesday.

The Spanish minister suggested the outline of a deal was now in place for a “zone of shared prosperity” in the Spanish area next to the British territory to avoid a hard border on the flow of people and goods.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 54938.html

[Time_Traveller]

Brexit red tape risks extending inflation crisis, retailers warn

1 day ago

Rishi Sunak has been warned that his approach to Brexit red tape and the tax burden risk extending the UK’s cost of living crisis into 2024.

Britain’s biggest retailers said the hopes of cutting inflation next year was under threat because the cost of doing business was still too high.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the struggle with costly post-Brexit bureaucracy risked prolonging ongoing price rises in the shops.

The retailers’ umbrella body also said measures set out by chancellor Jeremy Hunt at the autumn statement could also fuel inflation.

The BRC’s measure for shop price inflation eased to 4.3 per cent in November, down from 5.2 per cent the previous month.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 54712.html

[Time_Traveller]

Pint-sized bottles of wine to be sold after Brexit review

8 hours ago



Pint-sized bottles of still and sparkling wine are to appear on shelves in the UK, the government has said.

The new 568ml size will offer more choice for customers, according to the Department for Business and Trade.

It also said it will not introduce new rules on selling in imperial measures.

Legislation to be tabled in the new year will see the pint-sized bottles sold in supermarkets, pubs, clubs and restaurants.

After Brexit, ministers had looked at changing laws inherited from the EU that mean traders can use Britain's traditional weighing system only alongside the metric one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67795075

Who on Earth wants a pint-sized bottle of wine?

[Time_Traveller]

Brexit divergence from EU destroying UK’s vital environmental protections

Fri 19 Jan 2024 18.00 GMT

Vital legal protections for the environment and human health are being destroyed in post-Brexit departures from European legislation, a detailed analysis by the Guardian reveals.

The UK is falling behind the EU on almost every area of environmental regulation, as the bloc strengthens its legislation while the UK weakens it. In some cases, ministers are removing EU-derived environmental protections from the statute book entirely.

Businesses and environmental groups have told the Guardian they have been left in the dark as to the extent of the regressions because there is no government body tracking the divergence between the EU and the UK.

In practice, it means:

[*]Water in the UK will be dirtier than in the EU.
[*]There will be more pesticides in Britain’s soil.
[*]Companies will be allowed to produce products containing chemicals that the EU has restricted for being dangerous.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... rotections