EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force (ITF) 11 March 2020 EU and UK - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force (ITF)

11 March 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

Terms of Reference for ITF

• Mission statement

Working together to mitigate away as much friction as possible and maximize fluidity for all trade at all border locations at the end of the transition period.

• Purpose

As agents for the border activity, it is important to share the requirements and demands for all border activities, this includes IT services, new processes and resource demands in an effort to have a clear understanding on both sides of the border(EU and UK) of what will be required at the end of the “Transition period”

• Confidentiality

To encourage openness and sharing between attendees, information and papers that are referenced or marked as confidential must be kept confidential, in whatever format

Term “Agent” in the above context means: any company or individuals involved in an activity that happens at the border

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Freight Liaison Group

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

The UK has left the EU on 31 Jan 2020 and Transition ends 31 Dec 2020/1 Jan 2021

Transition – What we know today

BREXIT - WAB Ratified UK to leave the Single market and Customs Union Transitional period up to Dec 31st 2020 All cargo needs to be customs cleared as of Jan 1st 2021 and have a S & S declaration – 1 move, two declarations? During the Transition Period to Dec 2020, no declarations will be required. 1. Customs and S & S declarations required for EU Imports and Exports 2. 250K traders without customs knowledge will become importers and exporters

• How, where and when is unknown at this stage and will be part of the EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) process
• Original UK Government priority was Flow, Security, Fiscal Collection now it is Control, Security and Fish
• All previous easements, TSP, Temporary Tariff Regime, Postponed VAT, etc may or may not survive!

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

• EU published their Directive for the negotiations of the new partnership with the UK of GB and

Northern Ireland

• Published on 25 February 2020 – adopted by the EU General Affairs Council
• Document can be found here:-

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/42736/st05870-ad01re03-en20.pdf

• UK Published their mandate for The Future Relationship with the EU
• Published on 27 February 2020
• Document can be found here:-
• https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_

data/file/868874/The_Future_Relationship_with_the_EU.pdf

• Negotiations started week commencing 2 March 2020
• We are advised that the plan is to release an update every 3 weeks

Transition – what we know today

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

• Continuing to work with posts in the UK Embassies in Member States on operational engagement
• 2 other EU 27 facing groups, including:
• Intermediaries Task Force – focussing on road freight, and also RoRo via the short straits
• Western Channel Ports Task Force – to have a kick off meeting soon, and to possibly extend

this to include the longer sea crossings to Bilbao and Santander

• Understand the constraints under which this meeting is to go ahead and the discussions are to be
• perational information exchanges only.
• Anything on procedures after 1.1.2021 is for the negotiating table discussions.
• Border Operating Model to be published end March 2020
• Border Industry Dashboard to be agreed with industry – draft next slide

What the Border Delivery Group are doing?

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

Confidential Border Industry Dashboard

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

Removed as waiting for official clearance

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Freight Liaison Group

Confidential Border Industry Dashboard

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

Removed as waiting for official clearance

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Freight Liaison Group

Confidential Border Industry Questions – to be answered

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

Removed as waiting for official clearance

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Freight Liaison Group

What we also know, but at high level!

• Goods Matching System or RoRo Service!
• A technical solution similar to French SI Brexit system for Exports?
• CFSP solution could be the answer for imports!
• UK National Border Ready infrastructure
• To support export vehicle readiness before arriving at the port of departure
• And/or to support import clearances away from the Port?
• Postponement of VAT at the time of import
• This was a policy not an easement, so could be re-introduced for 1 Jan 2021 – by the UK Gov
• Transit – UK exports to the EU
• Offices of destination other than the first EU port of arrival – What infrastructure is there in

the EU?

• Safety & Security declarations and use of TSAD
• Biggest challenge is the required number of UK Customs Intermediaries – Michael Gove 10.2.20
• What about France and Belgium and other EU25 Members?
• UK Government are looking at further options to incentivise the intermediaries sector to

meet the est. 50,000 shortfall !

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

• Physical academy, starting with infrastructure in Kent
• Blend of on-line and classroom learning with on the job mentoring
• Working with HMT / HMRC on a proposal to assist via grant funding and other initiatives
• Now researching with Kent County Council as possible apprenticeship programme, benefits

include:

• Local people are trained and given jobs
• Using existing skills centres across the county
• Creates a pool of qualified staff
• Feeder programme into existing local businesses / wider intermediaries sector
• Layers are needed from a basic data input clerk to supervisor, but it would create a

workforce now.

• Could be rolled out across the UK
• Possibly day release scheme with agents in EU27?

Customs academy proposal

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

Feedback/Issues from 8-9 Jan 2020 ITF and FTA

• 39 Issues raised – Refined to only be operational and procedural matters only

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020

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Freight Liaison Group

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force

• AOB and Questions?
• Value of this forum?
• Next Meeting ?

EU and UK Intermediaries Task Force 11 Mar 2020