Yahoo News EU says ‘serious disruption and public disorder’ on roads within weeks if no Brexit deal agreed
The European Union has warned of “serious disruptions to public order” as it prepares for a possible no-deal scenario as trade talks with the UK remain stalled.
The bloc published its no-deal planning document which details what it expects to happen should no trade deal be reached.
Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen agreed that a decision on the future of the negotiations will be taken by the end of the weekend after the pair failed to make much progress at a dinner on Wednesday night.
The UK leaves the bloc’s single market and customs union at the end of the year and without a comprehensive deal there could be major disruption to trade.
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The commission president said: “Negotiations are still ongoing. However, given that the end of the transition is very near, there is no guarantee that, if and when an agreement is found, it can enter into force on time.”
The contingency plans accepted many things would be disrupted if there was no deal in place but focused on four areas that would suffer disproportionately and suggested a series of reciprocal side agreements to ensure they could carry on operating.
The four areas are:
Basic air connectivity: A proposal for a regulation to ensure the provision of certain air services between the UK and the EU for six 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 six months, provided the UK assures the same to EU hauliers.
Fishing: A proposal for EU fishing boats to continue to enjoy access to UK waters during 2021 or until an agreement is reached. The EU would offer access to its waters in return.
The EU document raises specific concerns about the prospect of haulage between the two areas being disrupted.
It says if road freight providers lose access to transport goods between the two they expect “serious disruptions including in respect of public order.”
Later on, the document also details how they expect public disorder disruptions for road passengers between the two areas.
It points out the UK has agreed to ratify a deal regarding buses and coaches travelling between the EU and UK but that they do not expect it to be in place by the end of the transition period.
Their solution is for a new regulation to bridge the gap between the proper ratification of various treaties and trade deals.
The document says this is necessary “in order to prevent ensuing serious disruptions, including in respect of public order.”
It says the new regulation would be conditional on the UK conferring equivalent rights and be subject to the same conditions as the EU.
The document outlines a difficult period for both the UK and the EU should no trade deal be reached, and even though little progress has been made in recent days the two sides haven’t given up.
UK chief negotiator Lord Frost and his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier, will reconvene in Brussels on Thursday to begin their final push to salvage what has been almost a year of wrangling over a trade deal.
Despite the short amount of time left before the UK ends the transition period on January 1, the government has shown little interest in seeking an extension to the current arrangements in order for a deal to be found.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC on Thursday that, while he could not rule out a further extension in the talks process, it is important to have “finality”.
He said: “I think it’s unlikely but I can’t categorically exclude it.”
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