The day after an unsuccessful dinner in Brussels between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the European Union (EU) published emergency measures on Thursday 10 December. in matters of fishing and road and air transport, which will be applicable to 1er January if no post-Brexit trade deal is reached by then with the UK.
These measures had long been called for by certain Member States, increasingly concerned by the prospect of a failure of negotiations with the United Kingdom, but the Commission had until then refused to present them in order not to hamper the talks. .
The UK, which officially left the EU on January 31, 2020, will abandon the single market and customs union for good on December 31. Without a trade agreement on that date, trade between London and the EU will be carried out under the sole rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), synonymous with customs duties or quotas, at the risk of a new shock for consumers. economies already weakened by the new coronavirus.
“Regulations”
“Negotiations are still ongoing. However, given that the end of the transition is very near, there is no guarantee that a deal can be reached in time. Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities, including no deal with the UK on 1er January 2021. This is why we are presenting these measures today ”, explains Ursula von der Leyen in a press release.
Brussels thus offers “Regulations” aimed at ensuring the provision of certain air services, the smooth flow of freight and road passenger transport between the UK and the EU for six months, provided the UK guarantees the same.
With regard to fisheries, the Commission recommends a ‘Regulation to create the appropriate legal framework until December 31, 2021, or until a fisheries agreement with the UK – whichever is earlier – for continued reciprocal access of vessels in the UK ‘EU and UK to the waters of the other party after December 31, 2020’.
“In order to ensure the sustainability of fishing and given its importance for the economic subsistence of many communities, it is necessary to facilitate the authorization procedures for fishing vessels”, she insists.
