Today, less than 100 days remain before exit day.
The EU has published Brexit Preparedness Notices, a proposed Contingency Action Plan, proposed Implementation of the Contingency Action Plan (which has further measures), and a Q&A about the Contingency Action Plan. This information is found here.
Please check all parts of the EU information.
The UK has published Technical Notices, and republished some of these yesterday with some updates. This information is here.
Please check all parts of the UK information, ignore the update date at the head of the page, scroll down and the update position of each document is visible.
In addition, ECHA, HMRC, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Transport, and HSE, have each published additional guidance. Please check in the categories Chemicals, UK Brexit Notices and EU Brexit Notices, on this Blog.
In addition, Brexit laws are being proposed and enacted at UK level and also at EU level. The continually updating Brexit Law List (of global OHS and ENV) is added to Cardinal Environment EHS Legislation Registers & Checklists.
In summary : (if there is no deal) so far – (main points)
(1) air service agreements are in place with certain countries
(2) plans are in place to stockpile medicines
(3) membership of the Common Transit Convention is negotiated – this facilitates cross-border trade, but does not remove the need for all checks
(4) UK air service providers will be permitted to fly between the UK and an EU destination, but they will not be allowed to fly between EU27 cities
(5) on financial services, the Commission is granting ‘equivalence’ in a very limited number of areas, for a period of up to 24 months, and I posted about other limited arrangements that are granted. This will not fully remove the need for some firms to reregister their services with an EU regulator – and the decision could be unilaterally revoked by the Commission at any point
[financial services are beyond the scope of this Blog]
(6) the EU will allow UK hauliers to enter the EU, to continue transporting goods (provided this is reciprocal) – meaning they will not need to apply for the limited number of alternative permits available – but that only runs for nine months
[I corrected my post online, because I had initially said more permits would be available]
(7) the EU has said UK exports will face EU tariffs as with any third country. UK exporters will also be required to go through full customs processes, which the Commission stresses member states need to be ready to manage. The UK is writing to companies with further information on the steps they must take, some members states are also enacting legislation and engaging with companies.
(8) the Swiss existing trade agreement (with the EU) is now rolled-over
(9) HSE will take over from ECHA on REACH – the UK will operate its own chemicals system
(10) the Environment Agency will handle F-gas and ODS quotas
(11) the UK yesterday published its immigration white paper (a single system will be put in place from 2021, this single system will extend the non-EU nationals system to EU and EEA nationals with some tweaks)
[the UK has or is in the last stages of agreements with the EEA and EFTA states – people (outside of occupational health and safety) aspects are beyond the scope of this Blog]
UPDATE (20 Dec 2018) – the EEA EFTA separation agreement covers withdrawal aspects wider than people. The document is here.
UPDATE (20 Dec 2018) – the Immigration bill is here. (it’s very short and narrowly drawn, it ends free movement and confirms rights for Irish nationals)
(12) the UK will withdraw its experts from Seville, and issue its own UK version of BATC documents (industrial emissions control)
(13) participation in EUETS will not be possible, and the UK will put in place a carbon tax
(14) the UK has laid Fisheries and Agriculture bills, and the UK will imminently lay the governance and principles part of the new Environment bill – the UK will operate its own fisheries, agriculture, and environment systems
(15) UPDATE (20 Dec 2018) Leo Varadkar (Irish Taoiseach) today says a hard border would not be an immediacy in the case of ‘no deal’ because the UK/NI would still (at 11:01pm on March 29) still be in alignment with EU/RoI customs and regulations, and a border would only be necessitated by divergence.
(16) UPDATE (29 Dec 2018) UK-US bi-lateral agreed (insurance and re-insurance) to replace the EU arrangement – here.
I am offering subscribers to Cardinal Environment EHS Legislation Registers & Checklists opportunities to discuss Brexit with me in 2019 (additional to Annual Reviews). Please email me.
I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas!
Cardinal Environment Limited's Blog 