NIreland stores see empty shelves as Brexit trade rules bite

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NIreland stores see empty shelves as Brexit trade rules bite

2021-01-13 20:22 Last Updated At：20:30

The U.K.’s biggest supermarket chains warned Wednesday that food supplies in Northern Ireland face disruption because of new checks imposed by Britain’s departure from the European Union.

After photos emerged showing empty shelves, the chief executives of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Iceland, Co-Op and Marks & Spencer wrote to the government saying there would be “significant disruption” unless urgent action was taken to fix an “unworkable” system.

Britain left the economic embrace of the 27-nation bloc, the final stage of Brexit, at the end of 2020. A trade deal that took effect Jan. 1 allows Britain and the EU to trade in goods without quotas or tariffs.

But that is a far cry from the seamless, hassle-free trade the U.K. enjoyed while it was part of the EU’s single market. Companies face new expense and red tape, including customs declarations and border checks.

Northern Ireland remains closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the Brexit divorce terms in order to protect its open border with EU member Ireland. That means there are new checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K., including customs declarations for goods and export health certificates for animal-based food products.

A three-month grace period means some measures will not be imposed until April 1, but firms already say they are staggering under the burden of new paperwork.

Ian Wright, chief executive of Britain’s Food and Drink Federation, told a committee of lawmakers that Northern Ireland was at risk of going “from color TV to black and white” in terms of food choice.

The British government said in a statement that “a new dedicated team in government has already been set up and will be working with supermarkets, the food industry and the Northern Ireland Executive to develop ways to streamline the movement of goods.”

While fears of huge queues of trucks forming at English Channel ports connecting Britain and the EU were unrealized during the quiet Christmas and New Year’s period, the government has warned of delays as the volume of traffic picks up. And other hurdles to smooth trade have emerged.

Wright said that for one major U.K. firm he knew the process of exporting to the EU, which used to take three hours, now took five days. He called on Britain and the EU to take additional steps to remove trade friction.

“If we do not see progress then costs will rise, choice will erode and quality will also dissipate, and that can’t be good for anybody,” he said.

EU, Britain and Spain say significant progress made in talks on post-Brexit status of Gibraltar

2024-04-12 23:26 Last Updated At：23:31

MADRID (AP) — British and Spanish foreign ministers said a new round of talks held Friday over the status of the disputed territory of Gibraltar following Britain’s exit from the European Union were productive and significant progress was made.

The meeting was between Spain's José Manuel Albares, Britain’s David Cameron and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also attended. It was the first time representatives from the four areas had come together for talks on the issue.

In a statement after the meeting, the parties said "discussions took place in a constructive atmosphere, with significant progress achieved.

“General political lines have been agreed (on), including on airport, goods and mobility. Negotiations will continue over the coming weeks to conclude the EU-UK Agreement,” it added.

All sides are eager to clinch a deal before European elections in June.

Britain left the European Union in 2020 with the relationship between Gibraltar and the bloc unresolved. Talks on a deal to ensure people and goods can keep flowing over the Gibraltar-Spain border have made halting progress in the 19 rounds of negotiations so far, but both Spanish and U.K. officials have recently expressed optimism about a deal.

In Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU. The tiny territory on Spain's southern tip depends greatly on access to the EU market for its 34,000 inhabitants.

Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713, but Spain has maintained its sovereignty claim ever since. Relations concerning the Rock, as it is popularly referred to in English, have had their ups and downs over the centuries.

A major sticking point has been who controls Gibraltar’s airport, which under the proposed free-movement deal would be an external border of the EU. The U.K. and Gibraltar have resisted Spain’s insistence that Spanish border officials be based at the airport, which is also home to a Royal Air Force base.

The British Foreign Office said Thursday that while it did not expect a final agreement Friday, "getting senior political figures from the UK, European Commission, Spain and Gibraltar in one room is significant.”

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless reported from London.