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ORAt 11:00 pm (00:00 am CET), the Big Ben bell rang in the new chapter in the country’s history: after 47 years as part of the European community, Britain finally left the EU. At midnight (CET) a post-Brexit deal went into effect, which aims to avoid a severe economic breakdown between the UK and the EU. At the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais, French officials started implementing the new customs formalities promptly at midnight, starting with a truck coming from Romania carrying mail and packages. At midnight (CET) a post-Brexit deal went into effect, which aims to avoid a severe economic breakdown between the UK and the EU.
“We have our freedom in our hands and it is up to us to make the most of it,” Johnson said in his New Year’s speech Thursday night. The UK could do things differently, and if necessary better, than our friends in the EU, Johnson said. The country could conclude “trade agreements around the world.”
The tabloid “Daily Express” featured the British flag with the words “Freedom” on the cover of its Friday issue and the headline read: “Our Future. Our Britain. Our Destiny.” The left-wing liberal daily “The Guardian” put it a bit more cautiously: “In crisis, without fanfare, the UK is finally ending the European era.” Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon did not share Johnson’s euphoria and that of Brexit supporters: “Scotland will soon be back in Europe,” she wrote on Twitter. Sturgeon is determined to hold a new referendum on UK independence. .
No celebrations due to crown restrictions
Britain was the first country in the history of the European community to leave the EU on February 1. At that time the “Brexiteers” were celebrating the exit from the EU in the streets, while opponents of Brexit held vigils and lit candles. Due to the corona pandemic, no public events or celebrations are planned this year.
The post-Brexit deal, which regulates numerous trade and customs issues, was not agreed until the last minute on December 24. The agreement aims to avoid chaos in mutual economic relations; Without the agreement, delivery problems and long border traffic jams would have threatened as of Friday.
On Friday night, none of the heads of the European institutions in Brussels spoke. The time until the end of the year was no longer sufficient for a regular ratification process with the approval of the EU Parliament. Therefore, the agreed rules will temporarily apply until at least February 28.
Last minute deal
A few hours before the final implementation of Brexit, the last hurdles were cleared on Thursday: the governments of London and Madrid reached an agreement in principle on future Gibraltar rules. The provisions of the Schengen Agreement will apply to the British enclave. This means that it is still possible to cross the border without passport control. Without the deal, the border between Gibraltar and Spain would have become a “hard border” between Britain and the EU as of Friday.
At the last minute there was also an agreement for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on New Year’s Eve: Spain and Great Britain agreed that Gibraltar would join the Schengen area without border controls. This will prevent the border between Spain and Gibraltar at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula from becoming an impervious external border of the EU as of January 1, 2021, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The general post-Brexit trade pact does not apply to Gibraltar. Instead, as a surprising consequence of Brexit, Gibraltar will now join Spain and the EU more closely. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 96 percent of Gibraltar’s 33,000 residents voted to remain in the EU.
Big changes are imminent despite the trade pact
Despite the post-Brexit trade pact, there are now major changes on both sides of the English Channel. Moving will be more difficult and visa-free travel will also be limited in the future. In future, controls will be necessary at the borders because the rules have to be checked, even for agricultural products.
In the English Channel, once Brexit is finally complete, no traffic chaos is expected again in the first days of January. “I don’t think traffic will get stuck before the first week or two in January,” said John Keefe, the head of Getlink, one of the Eurotunnel train operators between Britain and France, according to the BBC broadcaster. “This quiet initial phase allows everyone to prepare.” Government circles also said traffic was initially expected to be quiet. Since the weekend is right after the New Year, the dreaded queues could only add up afterward. The first logistics companies declared that they would delay their trips and observe the situation first.
A repeat of the chaos that was observed before and during Christmas in the Kentish border region must be avoided at all costs. Thousands of long-distance drivers had to wait in their trucks for days because France unexpectedly closed the border and required a negative corona test from all travelers. The reason was the appearance of a new variant of coronavirus, possibly very contagious, which had been discovered in the south of England.
