News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Saturday, May 15, 2021
An overview of notable events in UK trade policy this week. EU officials hint at ‘temporary’ SPS alignment to ease Irish border woes Amid all the strains and complications of Britain’s post-Brexit interactions with the European Union, a possible route map has emerged this week pointing towards a more stable …
The European Parliament is to be “involved as appropriate and necessary” in all discussions on the evolution of relations with the United Kingdom, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen promised today.
The European Parliament is to go ahead with a vote at its plenary session next Tuesday (27 April) to ratify the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, thereby bringing the deal formally into effect.
The trade relationship between the European Union and United Kingdom remains on a fragile footing, despite an important step yesterday (15 April) by two key European Parliament committees to endorse last December’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the two sides.
The European Union and United Kingdom have agreed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ on financial services – a modest but positive first step towards closer cooperation between the two sides in this sector.
Disagreements over fisheries nearly sunk last year’s trade negotiations between the UK and the EU. A deal was eventually signed, which repatriated some – but not all – of the fish resources in UK waters back to UK control.
Some highlights in UK trade news this week. UK delays border checks on EU imports by a further six months The UK is to delay until next year the application of a whole raft of checks on imports of goods into the country from the EU, to give traders and …
The door remains open to possible extensions of the various ‘grace periods’ facilitating’ post-Brexit movements of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland – but only if the UK shows itself to be more serious about fulfilling its own commitments under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The United Kingdom has acquiesced to the European Union’s request to extend provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement until 30 April 2021. London continues to refuse to formally establish the EU-UK Partnership Council foreseen in the agreement as long as the deal is not ratified by the …
David Frost, the British government’s chief negotiator during last year’s post-Brexit trade negotiations with Brussels, has been nominated by prime minister Boris Johnson to oversee the UK’s new relationship with the European Union. The strongly pro-Brexit figure will become the UK co-chairman of the new EU-UK Partnership Council, the body …
