UK and Norway fail to reach fishing deal – BBC (29 April)
- Despite weeks of talks, the UK and Norway have failed to reach a fishing deal for this year. The UK government claimed that it had ‘put forward a fair offer’ on access to the UK’s waters and in regards to fishing quotas, but an agreement could not be met.
- As a result, the UK will not have access to Norway’s waters, particularly known for their cod catches. The industry warns that hundreds of British crews will be affected.
British trade groups call for quick normalisation of UK-EU co-operation – FT (29 April)
- After the ratification of the TCA by the European Parliament this week, trade groups are calling on the government to use the deal’s 20 management committees to tackle the ‘teething problems’ which have materialised since the trade deal came into force.
- Tony Danker, director-general of the CBI told the FT that ‘the next phase is normalising relations between the UK and EU in order to smooth trade and maximise the benefits of the new economic partnership’.
- Dominic Goudie, head of international trade at the Food and Drink Federation, told the FT that ‘the customs co-operation and rules of origin committee needs to be directed to find urgent solutions to ensure the TCA doesn’t shut out small businesses’.
EU lawmakers back trade deal with Britain- Reuters (28 April)
- The European Parliament has backed the post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal, clearing the trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) by 660 votes to five, with 32 abstentions.
- European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the vote, stating that ‘the TCA marks the foundation of a strong and close partnership with the UK. Faithful implementation is essential’.
- However, EU lawmakers also voted for an accompanying resolution which describes Brexit as a ‘historic mistake’ and stresses the trade deal’s limited scope including the ‘vastly reduced’ opportunities for the UK’s service-based economy.
- Lawmakers also criticised Britain’s approach to trading arrangements in Northern Ireland, calling for the Commission to push on with its legal action.
Brexit: Sales of milk and cream to EU down 96% and chicken and beef by almost 80% – The Independent (26 April)
- Newly published figures show that sales of milk and cream to the EU have fallen by 96% and chicken and beef by approximately 80% due to Brexit.
- The UK Food and Drink Federation said that post-Brexit barriers to trade have cost exporters more than £1.1bn since the beginning of the year. Data also showed that exports of food and drink to the EU fell by 40.9% between February 2020 and February 2021.
- Whilst acknowledging the impact of the pandemic, the federation stressed that Brexit was the driving force behind the collapse in exports.
UK and Australia agree ‘vast majority’ of trade deal – Reuters (23 April)
- In a joint statement Britain and Australia have announced that they have agreed the majority of a free trade deal. They are looking to come to a full agreement by June and are confident that outstanding issues will be resolved.
- A trade deal with Australia is part of the UK’s post-Brexit strategy and official estimates claim that it could add £500 million to British economic output.
