Happy New Year! Welcome to last month's edition of the BPIF’s Brexit Bulletin.

You can add colleagues to our mailing list by logging into the members’ area of the BPIF website or contacting your Regional Director.

In this month’s Bulletin:

1. Brexit update
2. What happens during the Transition Period?
3. New supply chain tool
4. MP visits
5. Latest publications

1. Brexit update

With the Conservatives winning the December 13 election, with a majority of 80 seats, it’s almost certain that Britain will leave the EU on January 31. You can view the makeup of the new Parliament, including a gender breakdown, here.

On 20 December, just a week after the election, the newly constituted Parliament voted to see the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill move towards its Committee Stage. With Parliament returning after Christmas recess on 7 January, finishing the Bill’s passage through Parliament in the following few days will be the Prime Minister’s priority. But with a healthy majority and the will to ‘get Brexit done’, that shouldn’t be too difficult.

Once we’ve left the EU, the transition period will begin. The Prime Minister has said that, despite the delays to Brexit, the Transition Period will still end on December 31 2020. During that time, an EU-UK free trade deal needs to be hammered out – a tall order according to many in the European Commission – and a decision will need to be made on an extension to the Transition Period by July. If the Bill passes in its current form, it prohibits an extension to the Transition Period.  If there’s no extension, yet a free trade deal hasn’t been made by December 31, WTO terms will apply.

2. What happens during the Transition Period?
 
During the Transition Period, the UK will not be a member of the EU but it will continue to follow EU rules and the trading relationship will remain the same. It will also continue to contribute to the EU budget for the rest of the year.

Negotiations will begin fairly swiftly to decide the future trading relationship between the two parties. It's hoped the key outcome will be a EU-UK free trade deal – essential if the UK wants to continue to trade with the EU with no tariffs or quotas after the transition.

The transition will also allow the UK to hold formal trade talks with other countries (third party countries, including the USA and Australia). If completed and ready in time, these deals could also take effect at the end of the transition.

Apart from trade, there’s a number of other crucial areas which the UK needs to sort out:

• Law enforcement, data sharing and security
• Aviation standards and safety
• Access to fishing waters
• Supplies of electricity and gas
• Licensing and regulation of medicines
• Immigration

3. New supply chain tool

Manufacturing NI has partnered with Ulster University to design a suite of training resources that aims to provide practical tips and tools, including example supply chain maps. The resources intend to build your knowledge and skills in supply chain management so that you can seize opportunities and improve business performance beyond Brexit. View the training resources here. 

4. MP visits

Found yourself with a new MP? If you’re interested in asking them to visit your business, then click the below button to find out more, and contact Carys at [email protected] to help you set it up. 

If you’re not sure which constituency your premises are in, you can find out here.

5. Latest publications

We've trawled through the latest publications about Brexit of particular relevance to the printing industry.

ONLINE RESOURCES