Monthly Archives: February 2021

By Anne Marie Conlon

Elja is given a strange cube in Tribes of Europa

Netflix

Tribes of EuropaNetflix, from 19 February

What would it take to completely destroy our society, and how long would it take? In Netflixs series Tribes of Europa, the world as we know it has collapsed in a mere 45 years, following a catastrophe in 2029. Writer Philip Koch was inspired to write about the dissolution of Europe following the Brexit vote, and todays viewers dont have to look very far to see how much the world can change in a short space of time.

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Set in 2074, Tribes of Europa doesnt give us a full explanation for how its post-apocalyptic world came to be, but alludes to a mysterious collapse of technology known as Black December that led to Lights off and darkness. And that was it. Middle Ages.

The series was produced by the German team behind the Oscar-winning The Lives of Others, and Netflixs first original German series, Dark. In this latest dystopian future, the world is divided into a number of distinct factions, or tribes, as referenced in the title.

We follow three young siblings Kiano, Liv, and Elja from the forest-dwelling Origine tribe, whose peaceful existence is disrupted when an advanced aircraft is shot from the sky above their village.

Visiting the crash site, they quickly realize this isnt technology from the old world, but something more modern. The ships ailing pilot reveals himself to be from the Atlantian tribe (the only one apparently unaffected by the technology blackout) and he hands a mysterious cube to the young Elja.

The cube holds an important message about coming danger, and Elja is entrusted to bring it to the pilots homeland to help them make sense of it. Lured by the promise of answers to his questions about Black December, Elja agrees, but it puts him in danger because the violent Crows tribe is also seeking the cube as a key to power, and will kill anyone who gets in their way.

As the lives of the Origines are threatened, older siblings Kiano and Liv are caught in the crossfire, setting them off on separate paths. Kiano and his father are captured by the Crows, while Liv escapes and tries to find her family by bargaining with another tribe, the militaristic Crimsons, who also seek the cubes power

The idea of people vying for control of a mysterious powerful object isnt hugely original, and we arent given many unexpected plot twists in the first three episodes, but fantastic world-building and hints of bigger, more exciting puzzles to solve make this a big-budget production that seems worth sticking with.

Halfway through the series, plenty of questions remain. How extensive was the historic technology blackout, and why are the otherwise villainous Crows somehow unable to lie?

Having a group of siblings pursuing separate quests in a hyper-violent world evokes Game of Thrones, and the show matches it in cinematic scope, with production designer Julian R. Wagner referencing Blade Runner and Children of Men, and creating an epic, gritty feel, especially in the cut-throat world of the Crows.

It might be a very apt time to release a Brexit-inspired show about the collapse of society. Not only are the effects of the UKs exit from the European Union starting to become clear, but we are now also living in the shadow of a world-changing pandemic and leaning on technology more than ever.

As socially distanced lives in Europe mean a constant reliance on video calls, streaming and instant messaging to maintain a sense of normality, Tribes of Europa brings us a nightmare future a world without technology.

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Netflix's Tribes of Europa review: Games of Thrones, but with Brexit - New Scientist News

The Brexit impact on Bordeaux wine - Jane Anson - Decanter

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On 30 June, 2016, I wrote a column about how the Brexit vote looked from a Bordeaux wine perspective a week after it happened.

Bernard Magrez was optimistic that it wouldnt happen at all because the economy takes precedence over emotions.

Most other commentators were keen to underline the long history between Bordeaux and the UK, and were sure that the two sides would find a way through.

{"content":"<p>The most prescient perhaps was David Ornon, at the time at Château Guiraud.</p>
<p>He said that London merchants had practically become a second Place de Bordeaux over the preceding decades, but that in the future Bordeaux might begin trading more directly with Hong Kong and other partners, and lessen the volume of trade passing through London.</p>
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<p>So here we are, four-and-a-half years on, and Brexit is now a done deal. Seven weeks in, and you could be forgiven for thinking that Europe is seeing more of the dividends promised by the Conservative Party than the UK.</p>
<p>Amsterdam is becoming Europe’s biggest share trading centre, Danish fish auctions are busier than ever as Scottish fishing boats head over there to escape the red tape, Irish ferries are doubling their services to mainland Europe, and small European airlines are taking up the slack as British firms are locked out of charter, leasing and cargo flights.</p>
<p>Has Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal provided a similar public service for the Bordeaux wine trade, if not for its winemakers?</p>
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<p>There was a timely reminder last week of just how important the UK is to Bordeaux. During a year when the industry was battered by Covid, a continued cooling of the China market and US taxes, the UK provided a rare bright spot.</p>
<p>Export figures for Bordeaux in 2020 overall made for painful reading. The value of AOC/AOP wine shipments dropped by almost 14%, or €288million on 2019 figures, to €1.8billion, <strong><a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/french-wine-exports-sink-due-to-us-tariffs-covid-19-453387/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to a report released last week by export federation FEVS</a></strong>.</p>
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<p>The US was down 23.5% to €441million, and there was a 30% drop to China, although exports to China increased by almost 50% just in December alone as taxes against Australian wines came into play and the merry-go-round continued.</p>
<p>In contrast, Bordeaux exports to the UK rose by 6% in volume in 2020, and by 12% in the final three months of the year, no doubt partly because of stockpiling before Brexit.</p>
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<p>These are early days, and the situation is not helped by travel bans due to Covid, but it’s clear that not everyone in the region is going to be impacted in the same way.</p>
<h3>Brexit and Bordeaux&#8217;s classified châteaux</h3>
<p>You can breathe a sigh of relief for the classified estates on both Left and Right Bank.</p>
<p>They are insulated, at least for now, because of the Bordeaux system; they make the wine but are not responsible for delivering it to the end consumer.</p>
<p>As Emmanuel Cruse of Château d’Issan put it, ‘We are protected to a certain degree because it is the négociants not the chateaux who have to deal with the paperwork. The UK is one of our largest export markets, and extremely important to us, and we are watching the situation carefully.&#8217;</p>
<p>There are uncertainties of course, not least ensuring the tasting samples for the upcoming en primeur campaign make it through red tape if being delivered across the English Channel. Plus, there are concerns over the volatility of pound sterling in terms of UK buyer power.</p>
<p>But for their day-to-day interactions with the UK market, this is the area of Bordeaux likely to see least difference.</p>
<h3>Brexit impact on small châteaux</h3>
<p>No such luck for the thousands of smaller châteaux who sell direct.</p>
<p>As is clearly the case with small businesses over in the UK, it is the independents, those without the flexibility of scale, that are suffering the most.</p>
<p>John Mitra, who owns Château de Faure Haut Normand in Fronsac, and exports 30% of its production to the UK, reports they have been unable to ship any wines to private clients since 1 January.</p>
<p>‘No shipper is prepared to take single case shipments at the moment,’ says Mitra. ‘The problem is not business to business, but business to consumer. The major companies such as FedEx or Chronoviti will accept shipments but have no mechanism for customs clearance so it’s pot luck if it gets through.</p>
<p>&#8216;We would rather wait than risk the wine being spoiled on a freezing quayside.&#8217;</p>
<p>All of this on top of the already difficult trading conditions of 2020. ‘Dig a little deeper into those [2020] export figures to the UK,’ says Andrew McInnes, of Domaines CGR, &#8216;and you see the volume of exports was up, but the value dropped by 19%&#8217;.</p>
<p>He adds, &#8216;The average price of wine exported to the UK is now €8.44, a drop of 24%. This is a figure that takes into account all shapes and sizes, so bulk imports, bottles, BIBs… a fairly high number when seen as a per bottle price, but considering the UK is a fine wine hub, not surprising. All is not lost… but many small producers are really suffering.’</p>
<h3>Brexit and Bordeaux négociants</h3>
<p>Négociants are on the front line of the new inconveniences. Wines that are being sent to the UK now have restrictions and administrative hoops to jump through, from greater focus on traceability to fumigating palettes used for transporting the wines (as per regulation ISPM15, if you’re wondering).</p>
<p>But then pretty much the entire point of négociants’ existence is to help smooth the way for trading across different regions and sub-regions.</p>
<p>It’s possible that the new reality will lead to the expertise offered by the Place de Bordeaux becoming more highly prized – ironically after a period when many producers have been opening up more direct relationships with their consumers.</p>
<p>Catherine Duperat, director of the Maison des Négoces, says, ‘We are committed to continue to work with England as we do with all our clients outside of the EU. It will undoubtedly be more complicated to access the British market… but Bordeaux négociants are well placed to adapt and help.&#8217;</p>
<p>Jean-Marc Dulong, of négociant firm Crus et Domaines de France and who worked in wine before the UK&#8217;s 1973 accession to the EEC and so witnessed the easing up of red tape at the time, says, ‘For merchants, whatever the activity, Brexit means more documentation, more paperwork, more delays for the whole chain of intermediaries along the chain.</p>
<p>&#8216;There are headaches for the freight forwarders, carriers, customs, customers and agents.</p>
<p>‘At our end the extra administration has meant hiring two people to cope with the work, and we have started a UK-registered company to be proactive in terms of payment and storage.&#8217;</p>
<p>He adds, &#8216;We believe some of the major UK importers are helping small châteaux to adapt on this side. It might take time but we will adapt.’</p>
<p>‘The consumer should see no impact at all once the systems are well in place – except perhaps in the range of available wines.&#8217;</p>
<h3>Storage and logistics companies</h3>
<p>‘Brexit is a radical change for anyone transporting wines to the UK,’ says Line Genout of Bordeaux City Bond, the largest bonded warehouse in the region.</p>
<p>‘For the moment we are analysing the situation, putting in place procedures to facilitate movement and to ensure we are fully following all the rules so there are no holdups at customs.’</p>
<p>One thing that has already become clear is that moving individual shipments of single cases, even single pallets of wine, is going to be a headache in terms of cost and time.</p>
<p>Grouping shipments together is one option (even though there will be paper work per supplier within a consignment), as is keeping stock in the EU for as long as possible and making this a new base for UK merchants selling on wines to customers in other parts of the world.</p>
<p>‘It’s certainly likely that British businesses will increase their stock holdings in France to avoid these complex procedures,’ says Genout.</p>
<p>‘And it’s worth pointing out that there is an opportunity for Bordeaux to be at the heart of these commercial opportunities and to offer expanded logistical and storage solutions to English businesses.’</p>
<h3>What’s at stake</h3>
<p>One of the things British merchants are unquestionably brilliant at it is sourcing fine wines on behalf of international clients, working on tight margins, taking advantage of exchange rates, and selling and reselling wines in and out of the UK.</p>
<p class="p1">Just look at that €8.44 average import price of wine in 2020, much of that for high-end wines that go back out of the country.</p>
<p>Ironically, the loss of sterling value after the Brexit vote in 2016 saw this particular market get a huge boost as people took advantage of British merchants&#8217; stock, which got 20% cheaper overnight.</p>
<p>Brexit is going to make it extremely difficult for them continue to service clients with the same ease, and smart fine wine merchants across Europe will be paying attention to the opportunity.</p>
<p>Edward Dunnett, CEO of Onboard Cellars, a company that supplies high-end wines to the yachting industry, provides a clear example of what’s at stake here.</p>
<p>This is a company that has historically used the UK as the main source for its purchasing, but will no longer be doing so.</p>
<p>‘The Super Yacht market is niche and demanding,’ says Dunnett. ‘We work on short timescales, often with 24-hours-notice given for securing hard-to-find bottles. Even if the prices for these wines in the UK remains extremely competitive, I can’t have 100k of wine that misses a delivery to a yacht, and we get stuck with the stock.’</p>
<p>He adds, ‘I believe that the border issues will resolve themselves in time, but I am not sure if this is now not too late… Covid has shown us that life goes on despite adversity, and Brexit is similar in many ways.</p>
<p>&#8216;We have been preparing to cut off UK suppliers for a while in preparation, as none of us knew what it would mean. While we will still need to buy from the UK in the future, it will no longer be our first choice.</p>
<p>&#8216;Covid has changed people’s attitudes in many ways, as borders seemingly close without notice, and I suspect people will think harder about moving time-sensitive goods through borders in the future even when things open back up.’</p>
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<p>The UK wine trade is right now lobbying hard for the government to better understand the implications of all these moving parts, and to push for legislation that ensures the UK remains at the centre of the wine trading world, because the alternative is now clear.</p>
<p>‘It seems logical that if you forcibly remove supply but the demand remains the same, then the market itself will change to meet the demand,’ Dunnett says.</p>
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The Brexit impact on Bordeaux wine - Jane Anson - decanter.com

Political commitments to greater environmental sustainabilityare translating into policies and legislation in the EU and UK toencourage circular economies: switching from the linear'take-make-consume-dispose' model for products to'closed loop' industrial processes.

Legislating to deal with waste and the environment is not newand current initiatives on the circular economy build on other workdone in recent years.

In 2018 four EU amending directives came into force, requiringtransposition into national law by July 2020 of amendments to the2008 Waste Framework Directive, the Landfill Directive 1999, thePackaging Waste Directive 1994, the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive2000, the Batteries Directive 2006 and the Waste Electrical andElectronic Equipment Directive 2012. Member states are required totake steps to introduce a waste hierarchy, to encourage reuse andrecycling of materials and to ensure recyclable waste is not sentto landfill (targets on recycling municipal waste are 55% by 2025,rising to 65% by 2035 and for packaging 65% by 2025 and 70% by2030). Landfill is targeted to reduce to 10% of municipal waste by2035.

In July this year, the UK Government and devolvedadministrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland committedto the implementation of the amending directives, through a mixtureof legislative and non-legislative action. The Waste (CircularEconomy) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 came into force on 1 October2020 and amended a raft of primary and secondary legislation onwaste, to cross-refer to the updated EU legislation and itsrequirements.

The European Green Deal, launched in December 2019, is anoverarching initiative to encourage economic growth whilst tacklingsustainability issues. It has been followed by the Commission'sCircular Economy Action Plan 2020. In September 2020 the Commissionreleased a sustainable products initiative - 'Inception ImpactAssessment Roadmap' - intended to drive environmental highperformance through sustainability principles and requirements forall products and services put onto the EU market.

The circular economy remains on the EU agenda and through arange of plans and initiatives, the Commission has prioritised thefollowing areas: excessive packaging, recovering value from waste,ending the export of waste to non-EU territories, batteries,plastics, construction and ICT equipment, extending the ecodesigndirective to non-energy-related products and improving consumerinformation.

The 2019 Single-Use Plastic Directive requires member states to:reduce consumption of food containers and cups; ban products suchas cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers and polystyrene foodcontainers; introduce extended producer responsibility forsubsequent use and disposal of the products; and introduce separatecollection for the purpose of recycling for 77% of products by2025/90% by 2029. Member states must also introduce penalties fornon-compliance. The implementation deadline is July 2021.

In May this year, the Commission also set out plans for a newregulation, in the first half of 2021, updating maximum wasteconcentration limit values for persistent organic pollutants, whichpose particular risks to the environment and health as theyconcentrate in food chains.

Given the EU's policy focus, additional legislation incoming years to further promote a circular economy seemslikely.

Having left the EU on 31 January 2020, the UK is currently inthe transition period which ends on 31 December 2020. During 2020the UK is treated as an EU member state in terms of theimplementation and application of existing and new EU law. From 1January 2021, existing EU-derived law related to waste and thepromotion of a circular economy will continue to operate in the UKas retained domestic law.

The circular economy is on the agenda for UK policy makers as itis for the EU. The UK Government has a 'resources and wastestrategy' which includes plans to tackle the'throw-away'/'disposable' mindset in relation toconsumer goods and to support and strengthen options for re-use,re-manufacture, repair and recycling; and the devolvedadministrations have separate plans. In the consumer productcontext, repair of products raises some legitimate safety concerns,especially if the aim is to enable consumers to perform repairsthemselves. That said, with a genuine desire to achievesustainability, and to accept the potentially adverse impacts thatgoal might entail for profitability, these highly laudable andnecessary structural changes are more than achievable.

Whilst implementation of the Single Use Plastics directive fallsafter the Brexit transition period and so will not become retainedEU law, the UK Government has plans for similar measures.

Brexit is unlikely, therefore, to lead to any immediate ordramatic change in the UK domestic law related to the promotion ofa circular economy.

However, looking to the future, this is a policy area in whichBrexit on the one hand and devolution on the other raise thelikelihood of divergence, in legislative and policy details and insubstantive standards, as between the EU and UK nations.

Given the size of the EU market, and that this is a policy areain which the EU is a leading developer of new regulation,compliance with EU standards (which may be over-and-above UKrequirements), is likely to continue to be a practical (and oftenlegal) necessity for many businesses.

Product and packaging designers and manufacturers, as well asothers in the supply chain, need to engage with this issue toensure compliance with current legislation and to be ready for theinevitable further steps taken to promote a circular economy.

16/11/2020

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

The rest is here:

Promoting The Circular Economy: Product Regulation And Brexit - Environment - European Union - Mondaq News Alerts

With the UKs new Brexit deal having come into effect on the 31 December 2020, the UK is no longer bound to adhere to EU employment law. Parliament now has open reign to make adjustments and overturn legislations previously enforced by EU case law.

In January 2021, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the government is reviewing EU labour laws. Any drastic changes are unlikely to occur as CIPD reports that the government has agreed not to reduce the existing level of social protection, though a review of certain areas could see alterations for the future of UK employment rights after Brexit.

One of the largest impacts is that the UK are no longer able to refer cases to the ECJ (European Court of Justice) which had previously provided guidance to UK courts and tribunals on applying, and aligning with, EU law. The UK isnt required to follow ECJ decisions, leaving employment tribunals in dispute as to whether they should conform or reject future relevant and authoritative judgements made by the ECJ.

Equality

Anti-discriminations provisions, in employment and beyond, were established prior to the UK becoming an EU member state. Although, the discrimination compensation that claimants receive could see a cap introduced.

Prior to the ECJs decision to remove discrimination compensation caps, under the Equality Act 2010, the UK used to limit compensation awarded for any form of discrimination. Following the withdrawal of the ECJs authority, the removal of limitations is no longer protected, leaving potentially numerous employees entitled to larger sums of compensation disheartened by the ruling.

Holiday pay and working time

Prior to the William v British Airways case in 2011, UK holiday pay law stated that earnings over this period could include only an employee's basic salary. The decision from the case led to a series of discussions on how holiday pay should be calculated to expand the boundaries and take into consideration payments such as commission and overtime.

It's speculated that there be a revert back to the previously accepted terms, meaning the guarantees of fair paid holidays could be at risk under Conservative authority.

Another measure of change which has been confirmed as under consideration is relaxing the working time directive after Brexit. The current maximum hours you can work in a week stands at 48, with the removal of this cap placing many workers at risk of working excessive hours. This would save an estimated 1billion as businesses would no longer be required to report on daily working hours.

Agency workers rights post Brexit

The directives enforced by the EU provide equal rights for agency workers in cohesion with full-time and permanent employees in the UK. These came into force when the Labour government enlisted in the Social Chapter, having previously been denied by Conservative governments.

With their disagreement of the UKs participation in the Social Chapter, those protections could be lifted, placing those on weaker terms of employment at vulnerability.

The post-Brexit world could also look a lot different for those in the gig-economy conducting freelance work. The current ability to move capital freely across the EU and the opportunity to work for international clients may become more difficult having to navigate through yet uncertain agreements.

TUPE

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, otherwise known as TUPE, is an EU-based right which some businesses consider a complex issue and therefore favour its abolishment in the UK.

TUPE supports employees in the event of business transfers, protecting them against dismissal with an automatic transfer principle. With some businesses arguing that the provisions cause excessive due diligence and difficulty in harmonising affairs, this EU enforcement could be removed.

Though change is inevitable, the UK are left without clarity on how drastic these alterations will be. The pressure placed on employment tribunals could rise as they may be instructed to overturn decades-old decisions of employment law. Though, with the reintroduction of a employment tribunal fees being discussed, this may defer those considering to progress their case to employment tribunal.

If youre experiencing a dispute with your employer, our expert employment solicitors are here to offer prompt and reliable legal advice and representation to help resolve your issue. Call us today on 0161 830 9632 or contact us and well reach out to you.

All information was correct at the time of publication.

Link:

The Impact of Brexit on UK Employment Law | Slater + Gordon - Slater and Gordon Lawyers UK

The Telegraph

Post-Brexit trade deals could be harder to achieve if the UK Government sticks with travel corridors this Summer, a world travel chief and former minister has warned the Prime Minister. Gloria Guevara, chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and a former Mexican minister, has written to Boris Johnson warning that other Governments are telling her that travel corridors will be a key consideration in trade talks after Brexit. In her letter, she said: "Our extensive consultation with WTTC Members and governments around the world, has made clear there is strong and determined opposition to air corridors. According to their concerns, the UK is in danger of burning bridges with overseas governments looking to agree trade and other deals in the post-Brexit period and putting the UK in a competitive disadvantage. "The strong feedback WTTC has received is that these deals will be more challenging to achieve if travel corridors are used once again this summer. They are not the answer and have created great uncertainty for countries, consumers, airlines, and travel agents up and down the country, causing more problems than they have offered solutions. The travel corridors were introduced for green list countries with low covid rates during the Summer last year but proved controversial as the resurgence of Coronavirus into the Autumn led to a succession of them being closed down. They were ditched when the Government introduced the latest border restrictions including triple testing of passengers, bans on foreigners travelling from 33 red list countries and quarantine hotels for Britons returning from those destinations. Portuguese ministers were among the most outspoken after seeing their travel corridor closed. This week Portugals foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva also attacked the UKs quarantine hotel policy as useless because of restrictions his country has already put in place. The WTTC is calling for an international system based on robust testing backed by digital health passes, virus detectors and contact tracing systems to replace restrictions such as blanket quarantines and travel bans. This would be accompanied by tougher health and hygiene protocols including mandatory mask wearing and vaccination roll-out and continued financial support for the travel sector. We are calling on shifting the focus to an individual traveller risk assessment, irrespective of their departure country, using Britains leading practices and technologies in border security, said Ms Guevara. We believe that only together we can overcome this crisis. Through your governments vaccine rollout, you are showing the world how it can be done, and we ask that you offer the same leadership, focus and determination to restore international mobility.

Original post:

Brexit: Government acknowledges non-tariff trading barriers have emerged - Yahoo News UK

Brexit has raised a number of obstacles for live exports from Ireland to England, Scotland and Wales.

Officials are working to help exporters under pressure now to supply the seasonal trade in dairy cows and in-calf Friesian heifers.

Since January 1, Brexit requirements for live animal exports to Great Britain include a residency period for cattle, sheep and pigs increased to 40 days on the farm of origin in Ireland.

Animals cannot pass through a market, and must be consigned directly from the holding of origin or through an assembly centre.

And various documents are now required for transport of live animals to or through Great Britain.

Operators require transporter authorisation, driver certificates, and vehicle approvals, for both jurisdictions.

Customs controls, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls now apply to live animals.

Department of Agriculture officials have been working to get as many vehicles approved as possible

According to a DAFM official, driver and vehicle approvals and transporter authorisations are causing considerable challenges.

Since Brexit, drivers qualifications are no longer recognised between Ireland and the UK.

We have negotiated a solution for that with the UK, which will recognise Irish drivers qualifications under the common travel area, said the official.

On the DAFM website, there is an email address to which a driver can apply with evidence of his or her qualification.

Regarding transporter approvals, the transporter must apply for approval in the UK. There are links to that information on the website as well.

Irish-approved vehicles now need UK approval for trips to Great Britain.

DAFM negotiations on this are ongoing with the EU Commission; the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland; and the UKs Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to the DAFM, transporters approved in Northern Ireland present another option, for travel between Northern Ireland and Britain.

The Brexit live export issues were raised at a recent Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture meeting, where the provision of improved lairage and handing facilities was raised, and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said this is a matter for the trade itself.

It is really important that live exporters work together and collaborate.

"I encourage them to continue to collaborate on ideas for developing facilitates.

He said his department continues to engage with the UK authorities on their exact import control requirements.

The UK has adopted a phased approach to introduction of controls, with further phases commencing on April 1 and July 1.

Upcoming UK import requirements from April 1 may require an additional 4,000 to 6,000 export certificates to be issued each week.

At the meeting, Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard warned of significant pressure on live exports of in-calf and calved heifers in the coming weeks.

He said there has been a great trade in beef and dairy in-calf heifers and breeding animals in the past few years to the UK, where farmers are trying to build up their herds to the same high genetic standard Ireland has at the moment.

He said another Brexit agri-food issue is import delays at ports, particularly of parts for farm equipment such as machinery or milking plants.

The usual turnaround time for a part could be one to three days, now it is seven to ten days at least.

"The irony is that many of these parts are being transported from Europe to the UK, and then to Ireland.

Read more:

Brexit threatens lucrative dairy live exports to Britain - Irish Examiner