EU-UK Readiness post 1st Jan 2021 (EU)

On 14th July, the European Commission published a Guidance Note “Withdrawal of the United Kingdom and EU Rules in the field of Customs, including preferential origin”.

This document (35 pages) is here.

The Guidance Note summary advice to Stakeholders –

–  consider whether they need to obtain an EORI number from an EU Member State;

–  consult their competent customs authority for further advice on their individual situation; and

–  adapt input and supply chains to take account that UK input will be non-originating for the purposes of tariff preferences with third countries.

Some points (this is not a full list, please read the document) –

(1) From 1st Jan 2021, UK EORI numbers will cease to be valid in the EU and will be invalidated in the relevant IT system EOS/EORI, including those UK EORI numbers linked to the ongoing operations covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.

Customs authorities of EU Member States should accept requests before 1st Jan 2021 and assign to them EORI numbers with the 1st Jan 2021 or thereafter as the “start day of EORI number”, according to the requests of the persons concerned.

(2) Authorisations granted by UK customs authorities are not valid in the EU from 1st Jan 2021. From 1st Jan 2021, the UK customs authorities are not an EU competent customs authority.

The UK is a Contracting Party to the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure (CTC), so from 1st Jan 2021 authorisations granted by the UK for transit simplifications are not valid in the EU Customs Decisions system, but need to be treated in the UK’s national system as a Contracting Party to the CTC. Where then the UK communicates to the Member States which of those authorisations continue to be valid within the framework of the CTC, the Member States are to accept those authorisations as valid.

(3) Authorisations granted to economic operators with UK EORI numbers are not valid in the EU from 1st Jan 2021, unless the economic operator has an establishment in the EU, has the possibility to obtain an EU EORI and to apply for an amendment of the authorisation to include the new EU EORI instead of the UK EORI number. Where an authorisation cannot be amended by replacing the UK EORI by an EU EORI, the economic operator should apply for a new authorisation with his new EU EORI.

(4) UK content (material or processing operations) is “non-originating” under EU preferential trade arrangements for the determination of the preferential origin of goods incorporating that content.

Note the specific different arrangements that apply in Northern Ireland from 1st Jan 2021.

Healthcare Waste (England)

Yesterday, 13th July, the Environment Agency issued guidance for regulated facilities with a permit to treat or transfer healthcare waste.

This guidance (a series of links) is – here.

This information includes definitions and examples of different types of healthcare waste.

This information will be relevant to producers of healthcare waste also.

EU-UK Readiness post 1st Jan 2021 (UK 1st Jan 2021)

Yesterday, 13 July, the UK published its Border Operating Model (206 page Policy Paper) that will apply from 1st Jan 2021 for GB trade with the EU – here.

In addition, HMRC information for traders importing or exporting goods between Britain (GB) and the EU after 1st Jan 2021 is published – here.

HMRC also has guidance on declaring goods brought into GB from the EU after 1st Jan 2021 (update from 10 July) – here.

Specific instructions –

(1) Plants and plant products (update from 10 June) – here

(2) Animals, animal products and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (update from 10 June) – here

In addition, the Forestry Commission’s guidance on importing wood, wood products or bark from non-EU countries is updated – here.

Protocols for GB trade with NI, and NI trade with the EU (including Ireland) will be published later this month (the UK government said yesterday 13 July).

I Blog posted a few days ago on EU-UK Readiness on the EU side.

EU-UK Readiness post 1st Jan 2021 (EU 1st Jan 2021)

The European Commission published a Communication “Getting Ready for Changes. Communication on readiness at the end of the transition period between the European Union and the United Kingdom” today 9th July. This document is here.

The Communication is posted on the European Commission’s End of Transition Period Readiness Page here, where other notices, with various publication dates, are posted.

Key points in the 35 page Communication (this is not a full list):

(1) As of 1 January 2021, the European Union and the United Kingdom will be two separate regulatory and legal spaces.

(2) As of 1 January 2021, licences issued to railway undertakings by the United Kingdom will no longer be valid in the European Union, and certificates or licences issued in the United Kingdom to train drivers will no longer be valid for the operation of locomotives and trains on the EU’s railway system.

[I Blog posted recently specifically re Railways]

(3) As of 1 January 2021, air carriers holding operating licences granted by the UK licensing authority for the commercial carrying by air of passengers, mail and/or cargo, will no longer be able to provide air transport services within the European Union. EU air carriers and holders of aviation safety certificates will need to ensure, and uphold compliance with European Union requirements, including airlines’ requirements on principal place of business and EU majority ownership and control, as well as the European Union aviation safety acquis.

(4) As of 1 January 2021, road transport operators that are established in the United Kingdom will no longer hold a European Community licence. In the absence of a reciprocal access agreement, the limited quotas already available under the mechanism of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) will be available for EU operators to conduct journeys to the United Kingdom, and for UK operators to conduct journeys to the EU.

[I Blog posted in 2019 about this topic]

(5) As of 1 January 2021, EU REACH registrations held by manufacturers and producers established in the United Kingdom will no longer be valid in the European Union. These entities will have to ensure that their substances are registered with a manufacturer or importer in the European Union or appoint an ‘Only Representative’ in the European Union as registrant for the substance.

[A UK REACH will operate in the UK, I Blog posted about this in 2019]

(6) As of 1 January 2021, downstream users in the EU will have to check whether chemical substances they use are registered by a registrant established in the European Union. Where this is not the case, they should:

* check whether the UK registrant they deal with plans to appoint an ‘Only Representative’ in the European Union; or

* register the substance in the capacity of importer.

Re Northern Ireland specifics (this is not a full list)

(1) Checks and controls will take place on goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom, for example on food products and live animals to ensure adherence to sanitary and phytosanitary (‘SPS’) requirements. Goods leaving Northern Ireland to enter the EU must comply with EU standards and rules.

(2) EU customs duties will apply to goods entering Northern Ireland unless the Joint Committee (set up under the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol) sets out a framework of conditions under which these goods are considered not to be at risk of entering the EU’s Single Market. Based on such a framework, no customs duties will be payable if it can be demonstrated that goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are not at risk of entering the EU’s Single Market.

UK Internal Market Bill (Scotland 1st Jan 2021)

The UK Internal Market Bill is not yet published. Accounts of it suggest it’s purpose is to put into law the common approaches that subsist across the UK and the Devolved Governments to food, environment and animal welfare, in the context of international trade agreements.

Presently, a concept of ‘common frameworks’ is agreed between the UK and the Devolved Governments to enable the functioning of the UK internal market (in areas that are currently governed by the European Union) from the 1st January 2021, while acknowledging policy divergence.

The Finance and Constitutional Committee (FCC) of the Scottish Parliament has been consulting on views about how the UK Internal Market might operate from 1st January 2021. This consultation closed 28th February 2020.

More details are here.

Further Blog posts will be issued in the event that the UK Internal Market Bill is progressed.

Scotland EU Continuity Bill (Scotland 1st Jan 2021)

On 18 June 2020, the Scottish Government introduced the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Bill. Details are here.

The purpose of the Bill is to:

a. enable the Scottish Ministers to make provision in secondary legislation to allow Scots law to be able to ‘keep pace’ with EU law in devolved areas, where appropriate;

b. ensure that there continue to be guiding principles on the environment in Scotland;

c. establish an environmental governance body, Environmental Standards Scotland;

[The UK Environment Bill at Westminster seeks to establish, amongst other matters, an environmental governance body, the Office for Environmental Protection, in England]

d. continue the role and functions of the European institutions in ensuring the complete and effective implementation of environmental law.

Environment is a devolved area.

In the Scottish Parliament, the Finance and Constitution Committee (FCC) is the lead Committee for considering this Bill and focuses on the constitutional aspects of the Bill. 

The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee (ECCLRC) is a secondary committee and focuses on the environmental policy aspects of the Bill. 

The FCC is currently conducting a consultation (ends 7th August 2020). This seeks views on questions – including –

The policy memorandum states that “the Scottish Government considers it necessary to give Scottish Ministers the power to ensure that Scotland’s laws may keep pace with changes to EU law, where appropriate and practicable.”

The Committee would welcome your views on how wide-ranging this power is likely to be given the following statutory and non-statutory constraints –

* Compliance with UK international obligations including future trade deals and other international agreements;

* Statutory and non-statutory common frameworks;

* The functioning of a UK internal market;

* The replacement of EU funding.

More details are here.

The ECCLR has its own consultation (ends 31st July 2020). This seeks views on questions – including –

• The extent to which the proposals will address the governance issues arising from EU exit

• The limit of the obligations of ‘public authorities’ and the exclusions

• How the proposed model will align with that proposed for functions in the rest of the UK, and for reserved matters in Scotland, through the UK Environment Bill and any potential for gaps in the oversight arrangements; and the ability to co-operate and share data

More details are here.

Rail Transport (UK from 1st January 2021)

Rules change from 1st January 2021 (as a result of Brexit).

The UK Department for Transport issued on 1st July, text applicable to Rail Transport from 1st January 2021. This text is here.

The UK text also refers the reader to the already existing European Commission Notice, updated 28 April, here.

Note the following (this is not an exhaustive list, please read the text behind the links).

Note the deadlines – 1st January 2021 and 1st January 2022. Note the different rules in Northern Ireland.

(1) EU-based operators must apply to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for documentation to run services in Britain – the necessary documentation is required by 31 January 2022.

For Northern Ireland, the UK text says “non-UK operators are currently not subject to a time-limited period”. This flows from the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

(2) The UK text says “It is likely that certificates and licences issued in the UK will not be valid in the EU from 1 January 2021”.

If this is the case, operators of cross-border services will be subject to the recognition implications set out in both UK and EU rules.

(3) The UK will continue to recognise certain EU-issued documents until 31 January 2022 for services in Britain. These are operator licences, safety certificates, and train driving licences.

For Northern Ireland, the UK text says “The 2-year time limit from 31 January 2020 on recognition of these categories of EU-issued documents does not currently apply to Northern Ireland.” Again, this flows from the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

Any future arrangements with France are expected to deal with the Channel Tunnel itself but not with the routes into continental Europe (beyond Calais-Fréthun). UK operators and train drivers will need to obtain additional licences and safety certificates to operate or work in the EU.

(4) The UK’s formal participation in the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) ended on 31 January 2020 and the UK is not seeking membership of ERA. The UK text says “The UK intends to put in place appropriate arrangements for regulatory co-operation with ERA where this is necessary to secure the safety of international rail services.”

(5) After 31 January 2022, operators with an EU operating licence will need to hold an ORR-issued licence to operate in Britain. Establishment in the UK is not necessary, but the UK ORR licence will need to have been applied for and obtained by 31 January 2022 to continue operating after that date.

Operators holding an ORR-issued licence that run domestic services in the EU will need to re-apply for an operator licence in an EU member state, consulting the relevant guidance and following the requirements from the EU or the relevant member state. The licence must be in place by 1 January 2021.

This is also the case for UK-based operators seeking to run new domestic services in an EU member state.

Operators of cross-border services between the UK and the EU holding an ORR-issued licence will need to re-apply for an operator licence in an EU member state. The licence must be in place by 1 January 2021.

(6) ORR-issued Part A and Part B safety certificates will be valid for UK-based domestic operators operating in Britain until their normal expiry.

EU established operators running a domestic-only service in Britain, with a Part A safety certificate issued in the EU before 31 January 2020, will be able to use these certificates until 31 January 2022 or until they expire – whichever is earlier.

Proposed changes to UK regulations will allow EU established operators running a domestic-only service in Britain with a Part A safety certificate issued in the EU before 31 January 2022 to run services in Britain until 31 January 2022. These changes are to be made in the Railways (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocations and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. Subject to Parliamentary process, it is expected they will come into force on 31 December 2020.

This will also apply to operators running services with a single safety certificate issued under Directive (EU) 2016/798, which will be deemed equivalent to a UK Part A safety certificate during the period between 31 December 2020 (subject to the changes to regulations coming into force) and 31 January 2022.

If trains are operated in Britain on the basis of an EU-issued safety certificate, the relevant safety certification issued by the ORR is required by 31 January 2022 at the latest. An ORR-issued Part B certificate associated with an EU-issued Part A safety certificate or a Single Safety Certificate will expire alongside the parent certificate. An operator obtaining new safety certification will also be required to apply for and obtain a new Part B safety certificate.

Establishment in the UK is not required to obtain relevant safety certification issued by the ORR, but a UK address must be supplied in the application.

For Northern Ireland – the UK text says – “non-UK based operators running a domestic-only service with a Part A safety certificate issued in the EU are not currently subject to a time-limited recognition period.” Again, this flows from the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

Any EU operator seeking to run domestic services in Britain based on an EU-issued Single Safety Certificate, issued under Directive (EU) 2016/798 until 31 January 2022, will also have to obtain a Part B safety certificate from the ORR before it can do so.

UK-based operators running domestic services in the EU who hold an ORR-issued, or Northern Ireland-issued, Part A safety certificate need to obtain an EU safety certificate by 1 January 2021. This also applies to UK-based operators seeking to run new domestic services in an EU country.

Operators established in the UK who operate cross-border services and hold an ORR-issued Part A safety certificate will need to obtain EU safety certification by 1 January 2021.

(7) Entities in charge of maintenance (ECM) that maintain vehicles in the EU on the basis of an ECM certificate issued in the UK by the ORR or an accredited certification body need to apply for and obtain a new ECM certificate from a certification body in an EU country.

Vehicles used in international traffic between the UK and the EU also have the option of obtaining a certificate according to the legal framework of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF). The validity of ECM certificates issued in the UK by the ORR or an accredited certification body will be unchanged for freight wagons running purely on the UK mainline railway. ECMs that hold a certificate issued in accordance with COTIF can continue using these certificates in the UK for operations involved in international traffic. ECMs may also rely on certificates issued in the EU in accordance with Commission Regulation 445/2011 to maintain freight wagons for use in domestic operations.

Proposed changes to regulations will allow ECMs to rely on certificates issued in the EU in accordance with the new Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/779 to maintain freight wagons for use in domestic operations. These changes are included in the Railways (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocations and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. Subject to Parliamentary process, it is expected they will come into force on 31 December 2020.

(8) Drivers working on services in Britain, including cross-border services, and using licences and certificates issued in the EU up to the 31 January 2020, are able to drive trains on the basis of those licences until 31 January 2022 or until they expire – whichever is earlier.

Proposed changes to regulations will allow train drivers working on services in Britain, including cross-border services, and using licences and certificates issued in the EU up to the 31 January 2022, to use this documentation until the 31 January 2022. These changes are included in the Railways (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocations and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. Subject to Parliamentary process, it is expected they will come into force on 31 December 2020.

From 31 January 2022, train drivers working in Britain will need to have obtained a UK train driving licence from the ORR to continue operating. The validity of train driving certificates is unaffected. However, operators must ensure that certificates held by newly re-licensed drivers (and their registers of those certificates) refer to the correct licence.

This means that, UK train driving licences are required by 31 January 2022.

Train drivers operating international services or driving domestic services in an EU member state on the basis of an ORR-issued train driving licence will need to re-apply for a train driving licence in an EU country. The new licence will need to be in place by 1 January 2021. Train drivers should apply for and obtain this as soon as possible, where they have not already done so.

(9) From 1 January 2021, the placing of interoperability constituents on the UK market will be based on a UK conformity assessment process, requiring compliance with applicable UK National Technical Specification Notices (NTSNs).

For Northern Ireland, the UK text says “Further updates may be provided in relation to Northern Ireland due to a review of obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol.” This is the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

The UK text says “It is currently expected that an interoperability constituent placed on the EU market up to 31 December 2020 with a certificate of conformity from a UK notified body will be able to be used within the EU for the period of validity of that certificate in subsystems or vehicles authorised before 1 January 2021.”

(10) Vehicles first authorised in the UK from 1 January 2021 will need to be authorised in the EU as well before they can be used in the EU. Vehicle authorisations issued in the EU up to 31 December 2020 will remain valid in the UK if the vehicle is already in use here prior to that date.

From 1 January 2021 vehicles first authorised outside the UK will require an additional authorisation before they are first used in the UK. This system will be operated in accordance with the UK’s COTIF international obligations.