[ad_1]
Johnson says “now is the time” for businesses and people to prepare for no deal.
The prime minister also says that negotiations with the EU are continuing, but downplaying expectations that they will achieve their goal.
There was no progress during talks with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Brussels yesterday.
Johnson briefed the British government this afternoon on yesterday’s meeting.
He accuses the EU of wanting to “punish” Britain if the country does not adapt to what may result from the new EU laws, writes the AFP news agency. Johnson claims that the accommodation requirement was actually removed from the negotiations at an earlier stage.
Have a hard time
The post-Brexit transition period expires on New Years. After the UK left the EU on December 31 last year, the country has had one year to reach a trade deal that will apply from January 1, 2021.
So far they have not been able to do that. In the worst case, there could be queues and chaos at border crossings between the EU and the UK.
The ferry dock at Dover in the UK is one of the places that can experience chaos without a trade deal or transitional arrangements extended on January 1. Here, trucks wait to be taken aboard one of the many ferries to the mainland. The image is from February 1, 2020.
Photo: Matt Dunham / AP
It is especially when it comes to competition rules, fisheries and the application of a future agreement where it is difficult to reach an agreement.
These are areas that have been difficult since the beginning of the negotiations.
Will go the extra mile
After meeting with the government tonight, Prime Minister Johnson emphasized that the British are not prepared to abandon the negotiations.
– We want to go the extra mile. I want to go to Brussels, I want to go to Paris, I want to go to Berlin, I want to go wherever it takes to bring home a date, Johnson said.
Without an agreement, the rules established by the World Trade Organization, WTO, will govern the relationship with the EU.
Certificates guaranteeing that certain types of British cheese on the European market must be produced in the UK must be issued by the EU. Tim Brown, the owner of Melton Cheesboard, is now at risk of not being able to sell his Stilton cheese in the EU.
Photo: Jonathan Shenfield / AP
The EU is preparing
On both sides of the English Channel, authorities are now preparing for the collapse of negotiations on a trade deal.
In practice, this means new transition periods for important parts of the economy.
- Aviation: The UK will no longer be a member of the EU Aviation Organization, ECCA. This means that they are not covered by the rules that simplify flights between EU countries. The European Commission proposes a 6-month transition period, during which “certain flights” can operate as before.
- Transport: Also in this case, the EU proposes a transition period of six months for trucks and buses. It is also proposed that the agreement with a Franco-British commission that regulates traffic through the Channel Tunnel is extended by 2 months.
- Fishing: The EU has proposed extending the transition period until the end of December next year. This would mean that European fishing boats could continue to fish in British waters and vice versa. A spokesman for the British prime minister has said it is irrelevant and “contrary to the status of an independent coastal state”.
Fishermen aboard the French boat “Nicolas Jeremy” say that a quarter of the catch is fished in British waters in a normal year. If the British get what they want, French fishermen are among the losers. The photo was taken outside of northern France on December 7.
Photo: Pascal Rossignol / Reuters
Furthermore, several of the EU countries have started their own preparations for a life without an agreement with the UK.
Big changes for the British
The BBC writes that Brits must prepare for changes in the way they live and work from January 1, 2021.
- Without a trade agreement, prices can go up, both for goods they buy in the EU and for goods they sell to the EU.
- Different standards for food and packaging can be a problem. British products are at risk of being detained at the border.
- Tighter border control can lead to long lines for trucks at the border.
- Collaboration on security and data sharing will be more difficult. The UK, for example, will lose access to the European fingerprint and criminal record databases. British police may find it more difficult to prosecute criminals operating in multiple countries.
British fishermen Neil Whitney (left) and Nathan Harmon (right) believe that it is absolutely correct that the UK has full control over its own waters and its own fishing quotas. Here off the south east coast of the UK on October 12.
Photo: Glyn Kirk / AFP
The right to live and work in other EU countries will no longer be automatic for British people, unless they live in an EU country in early 2021.
