Monthly Archives: July 2021

1. Brexit: UK, EU Agree on Northern Ireland Protocol Grace Period Extension  Bloomberg
2. After Brexit, Ireland cant have it both ways  POLITICO Europe
3. Brexit: efovi 'confident' about chilled meat ban solution  BBC News
4. Northern Ireland High Court rejects challenge to Brexit Protocol  Reuters UK
5. EU agrees to delay Brexit meat checks in Northern Ireland  The Guardian
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Brexit: UK, EU Agree on Northern Ireland Protocol Grace Period Extension - Bloomberg

Six months after the end of his mandate as chief Brexit negotiator for the European Union, Michel Barnier sat down with Euronews for an in-depth interview.

The Frenchman has just published his diary written during the grueling 1600 day diplomatic tussle between the Bloc and the UK.

The former minister under Nicolas Sarkozy commended several who sat on the opposite side of the table during the negotiations. For others, he was not so candid with his opinion.

I prefer to say that still have a lot of respect for Olly Robbins who was Mrs. May's European advisor. I have a lot of esteem for Theresa May who was courageous, tenacious. I prefer to stop at that concerning the portraits I draw.

Certain cracks have begun to show with Brexit, especially in regards to the Northern Ireland protocol and frictions around fisheries.

The former Commissioner calls on Europeans to remain vigilant of the danger of London to change fiscal, social or environmental standards to regain a competitive advantage over the Old Continent.

I have confidence that this great country will keep to its word, even if there are intentions that I find difficult to understand. Because if you put things in perspective the most important thing for the British is to keep a huge neighbouring market of 450 million consumers. If the value of their signature was called into question I think it would have a serious impact on the confidence we need.

Barnier has returned to the French political scene and hasnt ruled out standing in the next years presidential elections.

Michel Barnier's interview will be broadcast this Monday evening on Euronews and Euronews.com.

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Michel Barnier: Britain needs to respect the Brexit deal in order to maintain its image - Euronews

London Thousands of vulnerable EU citizens in the U.K. could lose their basic rights to live and work here if they fail to apply for a special residency status by Thursday morning. The elderly and children under state care are among the people advocates fear may have difficulty applying for the program, which was necessitated by Britain's "Brexit" from the European Union.

With the U.K. now firmly out of the EU, European citizens must apply for the special status to continue legally living and working in Britain, regardless of how long they've been in the country.

While the application process, which can be done online or through a cellphone app, has been straightforward for some, it's been nightmarish for others.

"The stress levels in our household are unbelievable. All this on top of the pandemic and related issues is making both of us ill," Liz, a 68-year-old German who's lived in the U.K. for 44 years, told Sky News.

She recently discovered that her passport had expired, but she was unable to renew it due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. That meant she was unable to apply for "settled status" online.

Liz said she was unable to get through to anyone on the government's dedicated help line. She eventually got advice from a nonprofit group, which told her she could request a 39-page paper application, and was able to apply before the Wednesday night deadline. She said the process made her feel "threatened and distressed."

"I left Germany when I was 24 years old. I have made England my home I could understand if I had a criminal record, but I've not put a foot wrong, I'm a decent person," she told Sky News.

Humanitarian groups have worked for months to help vulnerable people sign up for the program, but it is estimated that tens if not hundreds of thousands of Europeans living in the U.K. have yet to do so. From Thursday, they will no longer have the right under British law to work, rent a home, or access health care in the U.K.

The government has said it will be pragmatic and flexible when it comes to people who apply late. But until those individuals receive decisions on their cases, which could take months or even years, they'll be in limbo, living without any rights in the country many of them have called home for years.

"That's it. They're stuck. That's a gateway to destitution. It's that serious," Luke Piper, head of policy and advocacy for "The 3Million," a group that advocates for EU citizens living in the U.K., told CBS News. "The government is favoring its border control policies over the welfare of people who are eligible to stay in this country, as I see it. And as they're being 'flexible and pragmatic' on certain things, they're not being flexible and pragmatic on the serious stuff."

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Brexit could leave thousands without basic rights in U.K. this week - CBS News

Angela Merkel, now on an affable UK farewell tour including tea with the Queen, leaves a paradoxical legacy for many British.

She is often hailed as the upholder of a liberal Europe that faced a populist onslaught from Donald Trump. But she is also the woman who refused to throw David Cameron a lifeline on immigration ahead of the Brexit referendum, judging it not in the national interest. But for Merkels stance then, her jocular host now might not have been Boris Johnson, who leaves her cold, but an ageing Cameron in his 11th year in office.

Cameron liked her, describing the east German as an Anglophile who admired British science and democracy from the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. She was the best-briefed person in the room, he recalled, capable of working out in advance other peoples negotiating needs and strategies.

Not that Cameron in his autobiography begrudges Merkels unwillingness to concede more on the free movement of EU workers. He largely blames himself in not selling a deal that could have given the UK a comfortable future in the EU.

Sir Paul Lever, the former British ambassador to Berlin in the six years to 2003, said Berlin weighed the odds of Britains importance to the EU, and the euro: Berlins judgement of the price the EU should pay to keep the UK in the EU reflected their assessment of the value of continued British membership.

That does not mean there was no emotional side to Germanys attachment to British membership of the EU, not least as a free-trading, liberal counterweight to Frances more protectionist tendencies. Asked how Germany would react if the UK left the EU, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schuble, replied: We will cry.

As a woman of famously pragmatic temperament, one suspects Merkel dabbed her eyes relatively quickly after the referendum result before asking: Whats next?

Indeed, within a year, Merkel gave the go-ahead for her diplomats to start negotiating a bilateral agreement with the UK on continued cooperation with Germany on defence and foreign policy. That joint declaration got shelved during the bitter Brexit talks, and if relations had truly soured over the Northern Ireland protocol or vaccine nationalism, it might have died completely.

But the current German ambassador to London, Andreas Michaelis, has been an assiduous advocate of greater cooperation and helped revive the initiative, leading to its publication this week.

Much of it is non-controversial, but it was striking that London and Berlin could find consensual words on Nato, Iran, the Indo-Pacific, future relations with Putin, and the balance between the pursuit of trade and human rights. Both cabinets will now meet once a year, giving a focal point for ministers to think about the relationship.

Johnson even signed up to an affirmation of European unity, something the Germans prize, since they do not want bilateral cooperation with the UK to be seen as a way for the UK to weaken EU foreign policy, or make smaller EU states feel sidelined.

But Merkel will be gone by the end of September, leaving a hole in European politics. The 90-minute foreign policy debate between the candidates to be her successor hosted last week by the Munich Security Conference showed how Brexit is part of the past. The European issue gripping German politicians is relations with Joe Biden and Hungarys Viktor Orbn, not Britain. True, if the Greens make it into government, perhaps via a traffic light coalition, there will be a sharper edge to German foreign policy on arms exports, human rights and relations with autocratic powers. But it is the German-French motor that will drive Europe from now on. The UK has chosen a detachable sidecar.

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After Brexit, Merkel probably dabbed her eyes and moved on - The Guardian

Talks to secure City of London access to the EU have stalled, Rishi Sunak has confirmed in his first Mansion House speech to financiers, as he set out sweeping reforms designed to help Britains finance industry embrace global opportunities after Brexit.

Addressing a hand-picked gathering of 40 young financial workers at a slimmed-down version of what was, in the days before the pandemic, a landmark annual gathering, the chancellor said a deal on a comprehensive post-Brexit financial services settlement with the EU had not happened.

Now, we are moving forward, continuing to cooperate on questions of global finance, but each as a sovereign jurisdiction with our own priorities, he said.

Sunak said Britain would diverge from Brussels rules on financial services as he set out a vision for the City.

Suggesting the UK would pivot away from Europe, he said he would build instead on deals such as a partnership on financial services signed with Singapore earlier this week with plans to grow business in the Indo-Pacific, the US and China.

He also issued a message to Beijing, however, that deeper economic ties would not come at the expense of Britain abandoning its principles.

The annual Mansion House dinner, normally a lavish black tie event at which the Citys leading lights mingle with the ministers of the day, was replaced this year with a low-key breakfast livestreamed on the Treasurys Twitter account. The gathering was Sunaks first as chancellor, after the cancellation of last years dinner.

Speaking from inside the lord mayors residence at Mansion House, said Britain now had the freedom to do things differently and better, and we intend to use it fully.

While his predecessors would have stood over banqueting tables laden with wine and port in the buildings neoclassical Egyptian Hall, the teetotal chancellor gave his address at a lectern with a glass of water.

He said a more nuanced relationship was needed while attempting to benefit from the nations fast-growing financial services market with assets worth more than 40tn.

Former chancellors have used the event to court Chinese business. Sunak sounded a more cautious note, but while dismissing Tory MPs who want to reduce ties with Beijing, he stressed Britain needed a mature and balanced relationship.

That means being eyes wide open about their increasing international influence and continuing to take a principled stand on issues we judge to contravene our values, he said. After all, principles only matter if they extend beyond our convenience.

He also set out a roadmap for financial sector reforms he said would boost Britains competitiveness after Brexit, but said the UK would continue to cooperate with Brussels and set high industry standards.

Experts have warned that splitting away from EU rules could make it harder for City firms to do business with continental clients.

It comes amid concerns in government over a gradual leaching away of finance business to EU financial centres such as Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin, after Brexit ended unfettered access to the single market for global banks based in London.

Amsterdam overtook London as Europes largest share trading centre earlier this year, in a symbolic blow to Britains status as the most important regional hub for international finance.

Government efforts had focused on securing equivalence for UK finance industry regulations as part of talks with Brussels, in which the two sides recognise each others rules as equivalent to their own.

Centred on access for UK-based clearing houses financial market infrastructure providers which sit in-between banks trading activities Sunak said there was no reason of substance why they should not continue to serve EU clients.

The EU will never have cause to deny the UK access because of poor regulatory standards, he said.

It is understood, however, that talks between London and Brussels have stalled, with the chancellor believing the ball is in the European Commissions court to advance the negotiations, and that the time is right to move forwards with sweeping post-Brexit reforms.

As part of a pledge to maintain the Citys competitive position after leaving the EU, the Treasury launched consultations on reforms to the insurance industry, the regulation of wholesale capital markets and rules for listing companies on the London Stock Exchange. He also promised that tax rates on banking profits should not rise significantly from current levels.

The chancellor also confirmed the government would sell green bonds to British consumers, aiming to make the UK the best place in the world for green finance. The Treasury plans to sell 15bn of government bonds, as well as offer savings bonds to consumers through NS&I.

This article was amended on 2 July 2021, to change leeching away of finance business to leaching away.

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Post-Brexit talks on City access to EU have stalled, Sunak reveals - The Guardian

School skiing trips that rely on British personnel to staff their EU winter camps could be wiped out by Brexit after it emerged they are facing the same obstacles as the music and theatre sectors.

Just like rock bands and music artists, instructors who work on the slopes of France, Italy or elsewhere in the EU are now required to have visas if they work in Europe, even if it is for just one week at a time.

Pre-pandemic, Robert McIntosh, managing director of Interski, took 250 groups a year involving 10,000 to 12,000 children to Aosta in Italy.

Now he does not know if he can survive, with visas for up to 600 instructors costing 300 per visit. Typically, ski schools would hire instructors for one, two or three weeks at a time to mirror the school peaks in the December holiday and February half-term.

But he is also unsure how he will be able to continue to employ the 40 to 50 staff he brings to Italy for the entire season.

I am facing a battle on two fronts. Brexit throws uncertainty into everything. The increase in costs because of the visas will be in the region of 100%. You dont have to be an economist to know that is not going to be viable, he said.

It is a disaster and there is almost nothing said by the government, they have not provided us with any information on how we work this.

His warning came two years after ski industry businesses warned of the loss of 25,000 jobs if they could not hire British staff at ski resorts and chalet villages after Brexit.

Lincolnshire-based ski instructor Nick Orgles, who has worked with school trips for the past 20 years, said: Since Brexit, we have all lost our jobs, our passion. The UK government has put nothing in place to allow us to continue to work in the EU.

I would normally be going down three, four or five times a year to teach students to ski in the valley. I now cant do that.

He says his experience is the tip of the iceberg and the same visa requirements will hit other sport instructors in sectors including sailing and climbing.

And it echoes the concerns of musicians furious that the government did not strike a visa-free deal with the EU for creatives.

Last week Sir Elton John said he was livid with the government, warning that the UK music industry could lose a generation of talent because of post-Brexit restrictions on touring.

Not all school skiing trips have been hit though. Hugues Raulet, who runs Halsbury Travel in Nottingham, said the only issue he is anticipating is delays at the border.

This is because his company employs local staff who do not need work visas.

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UK school skiing trips to EU could be wiped out by Brexit visa rules - The Guardian

The UK and Germany have agreed a 20-point post-Brexit joint declaration of cooperation affirming their commitment to the strategic unity of Europe.

The initiative, which has been under preparation for some time, comes before Fridays visit to the UK by the outgoing German chancellor, Angela Merkel, during which she will meet the prime minister and the Queen.

The agreement, released coincidentally the day after England had dumped Germany out of the European football championships, reflects Germanys strong desire to maintain close relations with the UK despite its disappointment at Brexit. The two sides have agreed to set up a new strategic dialogue that will involve the foreign ministers and political directors from both countries meeting once a year for a specific bilateral summit.

It is probably the first of three bilateral agreements that the UK intends to seal with its largest European partners, which also include France and Italy.

The joint declaration, inevitably a crafted compromise on the two countries stances, shows that the UK does not wish to cut itself off from its main European partners on defence and foreign policy, even though it has firmly refused to negotiate a collective foreign and defence cooperation agreement with the European Union. There is also pressure from Washington for the UK not to become a force for disruption inside the EU through arguments with Brussels over trade or defence policy.

Germany for its part will hope the deal can form a building block towards securing stronger defence and foreign policy cooperation in the longer term. It contains a commitment that it will maintain full transparency with the EU about its relations with the UK.

The overall theme of the document is that the two countries will work together as key defenders of the multilateral rules-based system.

On defence, the declaration states: Nato is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. It remains the bedrock of our collective defence. We recognise the importance of a stronger and more capable European contribution to this. We remain jointly committed to Nato-EU cooperation.

The statement also reflects Angela Merkels support for reopening a robust dialogue with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, an idea that was rejected collectively by the EU last week. The declaration contains strong words of warning about Russian malign intentions, but adds: We are committed to conducting constructive dialogue with Russia through appropriate channels in order to make clear our expectations and to discuss our ideas for concrete solutions.

On China and the Indo-Pacific, the document recognises the growing influence of China, but promises to hold China to its international commitments, including on human rights. Other areas of cooperation listed include Turkey, Ukraine and Africa.

The Foreign Office also states in the declaration that it supports Germanys application to become a permanent member of the currently five-strong UN security council. British support for a longstanding German demand hardly requires the UK to expend great diplomatic capital, but is seen as important in Berlin.

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UK and Germany sign post-Brexit defence and foreign policy declaration - The Guardian

Jul 3rd 2021

DURING BRITAINS multi-year negotiations to leave the European Union, fights over matters weighty (the status of Northern Ireland) and minor (fishing rights and roaming charges) were never far from the headlines. But for the technocrats in Brussels, among the most concerning issues was one that barely resonated with voters: state aid. Would post-Brexit Britain seek to subsidise its domestic firms in order to help them compete with European rivals, and if so, how? On June 30th, six months after the end of the Brexit transition period, Britain finally gave the Eurocrats their answer. Its plans mark a radical break with the past.

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Restrictions on state aid are essential to the functioning of the EUs single market. They ensure that governments do not use public money to grant their domestic companies unfair advantage over others within the trade bloc. But the rules are inflexible. Any policy with the potential to distort markets is banned unless expressly covered by a so-called block exemption, for example for infrastructure or environmental projects, or unless permission has been granted by the European Commission.

Under the new British system, by contrast, subsidies will be permitted as long as they follow general principles about value for money, do not prop up failing firms and are not designed simply to move jobs from one part of the United Kingdom to another. A new unit at the Competition and Markets Authority, an official watchdog, will offer advice on state aid to central government, and to the devolved Scottish and Welsh administrations and local authorities. But it will not have the final say over whether a subsidy is granted.

Brexit presented Britain with an opportunity to tailor a state-aid system to its needs. But that very opportunity also created a headache for the government. Many Conservative ministers wanted to be free of rules they regarded as overly restrictive, and of the red tape involved in ensuring compliance. On the partys free-market wing, however, some worried that ditching EU rules might enable a return to the dirigisme of the 1970s, when taxpayer cash was splashed freely and governments believed they were clever enough to pick winners.

Whether such fears are justified will take time to become apparent. It is local authorities for which the new rules mark the biggest change, but after a decade of budget cuts, they are in no position to ramp up spending on local firms, even if it would offer a decent return.

Deciding whether a scheme is effective, rather than whether it complies with European law, will require public authorities and ministers to think more carefully. As they consider how to create schemes for incubating new businesses, retraining workers and the like, there should be greater scope for innovation and policy competition between them, says James Webber, a competition lawyer at Shearman & Sterling, a global law firm. The new system might force more candour on politicians too, he adds. Ministers will have to explain why they dont want to spend money, instead of blaming the EU.

Freeing Britains economy from the constraints of the single market is among the biggest benefits its government spies in Brexit. But under the new system, preserving the British single market will bring its own problems. The trouble will come when one of the devolved governments seeks to subsidise a local company, and Whitehall decides to challenge it. EU rules were certainly restrictive, but at least they were clear. And Brussels did the nasty business of saying no.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Helping handout"

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Post-Brexit, state aid will be more flexible and less bureaucratic - The Economist