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Flanders, the northern Dutch-speaking region of the country, is facing the loss of tens of thousands of jobs due to its close trade links with Great Britain. Many companies were spooked by Boris Johnson’s warning last week that the UK was preparing to abandon the post-Brexit transition without a deal unless the EU agreed to a “fundamental change of approach” in the trade dispute. Hilde Crevits, Finance Minister of the Flemish government, told the FT: “The figures are clear. A no-deal would have a very negative impact on Flanders.
“It is precisely these economic consequences that we are trying to avoid.”
Hylke Vandenbussche, a professor at KU Leuven, said a no-deal Brexit would result in the loss of 42,000 jobs in Belgium, and two-thirds of them in Flanders.
The region’s ports, Antwerp and Zeebrugge, are two of the main routes for British goods shipped to continental Europe.
And up to eight per cent of Flanders’ exports go to the UK, putting it only second to Ireland in dependence on the British market.
The region accounts for 85 percent of total Belgian exports to the UK.
Recent studies, cited by the Flemish government, said it would face a 1.8 per cent impact on GDP even if the UK and the EU manage to secure a free trade deal.
Belgium’s food and beverage processing industry would likely face a more pronounced decline than any other sector of the country’s economy, according to the KU Leuven study.
Its fishing industry would also face significant disruption, and the federal government is one of eight EU nations struggling to maintain access to Britain’s coastal waters for European vessels in the Brexit negotiations.
Flemish politicians are hopeful for a 17th century charter to guarantee future fishing opportunities in British waters.
King Charles II granted 50 ships from Bruges the right to fish in UK waters for “eternity” in 1666 after staying in the city during the English Civil War that ended with the execution of his father, Charles I.
Ms Crevits said legal assessments of the “Charter of Fishing Privileges” show that it would still apply after a no-deal Brexit.
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Crevits said: “In the event of a hard Brexit, this existence of the entire industry is threatened.”
Earlier this year, the European Council announced a special Brexit reserve of 5 billion euros to help soften the blow of a no-deal Brexit.
Much of the cash is expected to go to fishermen in France, Belgium and Ireland to make up for the lack of access to British waters.
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