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The UK’s final exit from the EU without a deal will become empty shelves in stores.
The UK and the EU have once again extended negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal. London considers the most likely rejection of the agreement with the EU, that is, a tough version of the definitive exit from the bloc. In this context, the British are urged to stock up on food. Correspondent.net says the details.
Stock up on food and medicine
The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on January 31 after a referendum in 2016. Until the end of 2020, a transitional period was agreed, when the parties agree on future cooperation. Until January 1, 2021, EU rules apply to Great Britain.
Meanwhile, London and Brussels have been in difficult negotiations over a future trade deal. Both sides say they want to close a trade deal, but negotiations are stalled.
In December a new round of discussions began. On December 9, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Brussels to talk, but a meeting of many hours with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ended in vain.
“We have a clear idea of the position of each side, but the differences are still too great,” von der Leyen said. After the meeting, the parties agreed to determine, no later than December 13, if there is a possibility of concluding an agreement on commercial relations.
However, the parties did not invest in this period and decided to extend the term. At the same time, according to Johnson, the positions of the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of cooperation after Brexit are still very far from each other.
The deal, says the British prime minister, is still possible, but he believes that a more likely solution is trade with the EU according to the rules of the World Trade Organization, that is, with tariffs and quotas.
When asked if he thinks there is any political progress and if the head of the European Commission is more optimistic, Johnson replied: “If Ursula is optimistic, that’s great. But from what I can see, there are some serious questions and very, very difficult situations that currently separate Great Britain from the EU. “
The situation in the negotiations between the UK and the European Union is very difficult, an anonymous British official told Bloomberg. The interlocutor said that the parties could not bring their positions closer together.
“The EU proposal remains unacceptable,” said the source.
The biggest disagreements between Brussels and London focus mainly on three points: the fishing quotas of the EU companies in the territorial waters of Great Britain, the guarantees of equal conditions of competition in the market, and also on the mechanism of resolution of disputes in case of violation of a future agreement.
Britain intends to build economic relations with the EU on the basis of a superficial trade agreement, such as those previously concluded with Canada. This will give Great Britain maximum autonomy in the field of trade with third countries, as well as in the field of business assistance within the country.
But the EU insists that for a tax-free trade deal between the union and its former member, the new British standards must be as close as possible to the European ones.
For more effective monitoring of Britain’s compliance with the terms of the agreements in various areas, the EU is seeking the longest and most diverse treaty linking trade, foreign policy and other areas.
London is not ready for concessions. Johnson insists that Britain will decide independently who will enter its waters and how to regulate economic processes on its territory. The British side has already announced that in the event of a breakdown in negotiations, warships are ready to start fighting illegal fishing.
In this context, the UK Council of Ministers has recommended that shops stock up on food in case a trade deal is never reached.
Growers have warned of a possible shortage of vegetables in the next three months, the newspaper writes. Emergency planners admit that leaving the EU without an agreement will create a flood of purchases that will exceed that seen in the first months of the pandemic.
Authorities also advised suppliers of drugs, medical equipment and vaccines to stock up on supplies that would last six weeks.
The head of British retailer Tesco, John Allan, has warned that in the event of Brexit without a deal, food prices could rise by five percent and the shortage of fresh food could last two months, writes the Financial Times.
British media report that supermarkets have started stocking up on groceries in anticipation of massive consumer demand, such as in the first months of the pandemic, which has already caused truck congestion of several kilometers on the road from the port of Dover. .
EPA
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