Cyprus Mail 10 December 2020 - by Andrew Rosenbaum
The EU Commission on Thursday released a statement that provided a basic framework to keep businesses that work with the UK up and running in the absence of a Brexit agreement.
“There is now significant uncertainty whether a deal will be in place on January 1, 2021,” the Commission statement said.
“Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities. That is why we are coming forward with these measures today,” explained Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Consequently, the Commission is laying out “targeted contingency measures ensuring basic reciprocal air and road connectivity between the EU and the UK, as well as allowing for the possibility of reciprocal fishing access by EU and UK vessels to each other’s waters.”
Some sectors are more vulnerable to disruptions than others, the statement continues. In certain sectors, it’s not possible for businesses to take action to avoid disruptions.
The Commission is addressing these sectors with its contingency measures. The measures address:
- Basic air connectivity: A proposal for a Regulation to ensure the provision of certain air services between the UK and the EU for 6 months, provided the UK ensures the same.
- Aviation safety: A proposal for a Regulation ensuring that various safety certificates for products can continue to be used in EU aircraft without disruption, thereby avoiding the grounding of EU aircraft.
- Basic road connectivity: A proposal for a Regulation covering basic connectivity with regard to both road freight, and road passenger transport for 6 months, provided the UK assures the same to EU hauliers.
- Fisheries: A proposal for a Regulation to create the appropriate legal framework until December 31, 2021, or until a fisheries agreement with the UK has been concluded – whichever date is earlier – for continued reciprocal access by EU and UK vessels to each other’s waters after December 31, 2020. In order to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries and in light of the importance of fisheries for the economic livelihood of many communities, it is necessary to facilitate the procedures of authorisation of fishing vessels.
“The Commission will work closely with the European Parliament and Council with a view to facilitate entry into application on 1 January 2021 of all four proposed Regulations,” the statement noted.
There has thus far been no reaction from the UK on any of these proposals.
The aim of these contingency measures is to cater for the period during which there is no agreement in place. If no agreement enters into application, they will end after a fixed period.
