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13.12.2020 21:20; Pavlina Trifonova
A queue of trucks forms in the direction of the port of the city of Dover, in the southeast of England, from where ferries leave for continental Europe. PHOTO: Reuters
London and Brussels have agreed on a further extension of the trade agreement negotiations
The problems of Britain’s upcoming separation from the EU on January 1 have already started. In the south-east of England, where the main ports for the ferry lines and tunnel terminals connecting the island to Europe are located, kilometers of truck queues have formed. The reason is the advice of the British authorities to the large retail chains to stock up on food, since after the New Year there can be serious interruptions in supply due to Brexit. Your prices may go up due to the introduction of customs fees of 10-15%. Analyzes have shown that even if a trade deal is struck between London and Brussels, trucks could still fall into 100-kilometer queues as additional documents will be required and verified.
Kent County Police Inspector Alan Puggley cautioned that
the delay to pass
The English Channel can last up to two days,
and traffic interruptions between 3 and 6 months. Some companies have started testing a new scheme for the unaccompanied transfer of goods with ferry connections to avoid congestion. They rely on European partners to load the ships’ containers in French ports and their trucks to receive them at the British to avoid crossing the border by truck. The British authorities are also organizing an express procedure to go from 70 to 100 trucks a day, carrying perishable goods such as seafood and fresh meat.
A final decision was expected on Sunday on whether there would be a trade deal between London and Brussels, which would allow much of the cargo between Britain and the EU to continue to be imported and exported duty free. However, it does not happened. After a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, it was announced that the talks would not stop in an attempt to reach a compromise. Despite the exhaustion and expired deadlines, we believe that we must make this additional effort, announced the head of the EC.
However, British government sources claim that
EU conditions
continue
are unacceptable,
and the opposition has criticized him for improperly negotiating with European allies, using threats from the past like sending 4 warships and helicopters to catch French fishermen entering British waters if there is no trade deal. No new deadline has been set for the completion of negotiations in this regard, but talks are said to continue the night before Monday.
Johnson, meanwhile, summoned his ministers in London to brief them on his conversation with Ursula von der Leyen and to discuss how to proceed. It has been revealed that a rescue package of around £ 10bn is being discussed for the sectors that will be most severely affected by the lack of a trade deal, such as the fisheries, chemical and automotive industries.
“The UK cannot be locked into the EU regulatory orbit and we obviously need to regain control of the fishery. “These are controversial issues and I think it is very clear what Britain wants,” Johnson said. He assured that in the last 4 years his country has made great preparations to leave the union without an agreement.
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