Brexit Debate

[SteveH]

The UK is to rejoin the EU's flagship scientific research scheme, Horizon, the government has announced.

UK-based scientists and institutions will be able to apply for money from the ?81bn (?95bn) fund from today.

Associate membership had been agreed as part of the Brexit trade deal when the UK formally left the EU in 2020.

However, the UK has been excluded from the scheme for the past three years because of a disagreement over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66737714

[SteveH]

Brexit: 'Call us' on trade, says German finance minister Christian Lindner

The German finance minister has extended a surprise invite to the UK to take "new steps" on post-Brexit trade relations with the European Union (EU).

In a BBC interview, Christian Lindner said: "If you want to intensify your trade relationship with the EU - call us!"

A government spokesperson said the UK was open to "new opportunities" across the globe.

Mr Lindner also said the German economy and energy supplies remain strong.

He is the leader of the German liberals, part of the ruling coalition led by the centre-left SPD of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

During the discussion on the margins of the IMF and World Bank's annual meetings in Marrakech, Mr Lindner said that the UK had a "standing invitation" on future talks aimed at reducing trade barriers, or "obstacles in daily business life" that had arisen.

"In the daily life of German corporates, there are new obstacles since Brexit... I don't think [the] United Kingdom is benefiting from Brexit," he told BBC News.

"We really appreciate the United Kingdom and its values, its people... and I would really, really appreciate it if we can intensify [the trade relationship] again," he added.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67105143

One in three newly registered vehicles in the UK is a German export. In total, 950,000 of the 3 million newly registered cars in the UK are German exports (2016). One in five new cars exported from Germany goes to the UK (20% of German exports).

[Ian]

Mr Lindner also said the German economy and energy supplies remain strong.

In fact our inflation rate is the highest and overall wealth is the worst of the developed economies. Yet another factor that we can thank Johnson for.

[SteveH]

Post-Brexit controls on food, plant and animal imports to Britain from the EU have come into force.

Health certificates will now be required on EU goods ranging from cut flowers, to fresh produce including meat, fruit and vegetables.

Some industry bodies raised concerns the rules could cause delays and push up costs, but others said they would help UK farmers be more competitive.

The government said its border model would "minimise burdens for traders".

The UK left the EU exactly four years ago, but it has taken some time for the government to implement new trade rules - legally required under the Brexit agreement - for goods travelling from the EU to the UK.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68126880

[SteveH]

The UK is starting talks on a new co-operation treaty with Germany, as the Labour government looks to "reset" relations with Europe.

Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Berlin for meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said the deal was part of a bid to "turn a corner on Brexit".

Downing Street said the agreement would cover areas such as energy security, technology, defence and illegal migration.

It added it would also cover access to each other's markets and trade across the North Sea.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg3pxz4334o

[SteveH]

Construction work has finally started on a border control post in north Wales which will carry out post-Brexit checks on goods from the Republic of Ireland.

The facility at Holyhead should be operational sometime in 2025, four years after the UK left the EU.

When the UK left in 2021, goods from Great Britain going to the EU were immediately subject to customs and regulatory processes.

But the UK government was not ready to apply controls on EU goods and the introduction of those controls has been delayed on several occasions.

EU agrifood products arriving at English Channel ports started being checked earlier in 2024.

Products from the Republic of Ireland have not been checked due to a lack of facilities at Great Britain's west coast ports.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74jdj2x0w4o

[SteveH]

Brexit red tape on British businesses has caused goods trade between the UK and EU to slump and the problem is getting worse, a study has warned.

Many smaller UK producers have given up exporting small amounts to the EU after facing more rules and regulations, a report by Aston University Business School found.

Between 2021 and 2023, the study found UK goods exports to the EU fell 27% and imported goods by 32% compared with what it predicts would have happened without Brexit.

The report does not include the service sector, which has performed better than many experts had expected since Brexit.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd988p00z1no

[SteveH]

The UK government is hiring a new negotiator to help deliver a “reset” of relations with Europe.

The job posting says the role will lead the government's relationship with the European Union and negotiations with the EU "on key UK interests", with mentions of trade, security and border policy.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has committed to a “reset” of relations between the UK and EU, and previously said he would seek a better deal on trade than the one negotiated by Boris Johnson in late 2020.

However, the prime minister has said that resetting does not mean reversing Brexit..........https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjw0xngdj2jo