From import checks to co-operation on science, the UK’s decision to leave the EU continues to throw up a range of unresolved problems more than seven years after the Brexit vote
Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal on Northern Ireland was signed six months ago and is seen as his biggest concrete achievement in office, resolving the final major sticking point in the UK’s messy divorce from the EU.
But despite Boris Johnson’s election promise to “get Brexit done”, the cornerstone of a manifesto that the current Prime Minister – an enthusiastic Brexiteer – campaigned on in 2019 and has embraced as leader, there remain several outstanding issues that could have wide-reaching effects for Britain and its people.
From new tariffs that could drive up the price of electric vehicles, to damaging political deadlock in Northern Ireland, and the prospect of huge delays for holidaymakers due to new border checks, there remains much unfinished business that means Brexit still isn’t done.
Import checks
The Government is expected to confirm imminently that the introduction of border checks on animal and plant products coming from the EU will be delayed, again.
The UK was planning to roll out the first stage of its new border model from October, with physical checks and other requirements due to be introduced throughout next year.
But it will be pushed back again over concerns the extra bureaucracy would raise food prices for consumers and fuel inflation.
The latest delay could leave the UK in breach of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, an expert has said.
Trade and policy adviser Sam Lowe told it was possible the UK is breaking rules about offering preferable treatments to one trading partner over another but he said it was unlikely that another country would challenge this.
“The UK is possibly in breach of WTO non-discrimination obligations — given it is granting preferable treatment to EU-origin imports without a legally watertight justification — but could argue otherwise,” he said.
“However, given the measures are still, supposedly, temporary, the likelihood of another country bringing a legal challenge is low.
“Obviously the longer the temporary measures drag on the more likely someone brings a challenge.”
The Government believes that it is in line with WTO obligations, understands, with insiders insisting that all obligations were considered when implementing the delay.
Political deadlock in Northern Ireland
As well as resolving the post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland, it was also hoped that Mr Sunak’s Windsor Framework could end the impasse that has left the province’s political institutions paralysed after they were boycotted by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
But despite securing significant concessions designed to appease the DUP, such as the so-called “Stormont veto”, the party has refused to re-enter powersharing after criticising the deal.
Hopes that the DUP might shift position after local elections in May proved unfounded and last month Irish premier, Leo Varadkar, suggested it could be time for a “plan B” to get Stormont back up and running.
Fishing
A deal on EU fishers’ access to UK waters expires on 30 June, 2026, after which quotas will be negotiated on an annual basis.
EU border control measures
Talks are ongoing between the UK, France and EU about how to avoid waits of up to 10 hours for Dover ferry and Channel tunnel passengers next year when Brussels introduces new border control measures for countries outside the bloc.
Last month, Eurotunnel’s operator Getlink warned the time required for passengers to hand over facial scans, fingerprints and biographical data under the new EU entry/exit system could lead to wait times doubling or even quadrupling.
Meanwhile, the Port of Dover said the new system posed a “strategic” threat to the “health of the nation”, due to the prospect of freight traffic being snarled up in delays due to the queues that could be caused.
The system is expected to involve travellers from non-EU countries such as the UK having their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database the first time they enter a member state.
Horizon
The UK is still negotiating with the EU on whether to rejoin the bloc’s Horizon research and innovation scheme.
Ministers are said to be holding out for lower budget contributions to the programme as it missed the first two years.
But experts on Friday warned that the delay had “damaged the UK’s reputation” in life sciences and that the country faces a “brain drain” with scientists “finding it much harder to bring the brightest and best into their labs”.
Brexiteer grumbling
Despite leaving the EU in a so-called “hard” Brexit under a trade deal signed by Mr Johnson that was endorsed by the most hardline Tory Eurosceptics, with so-called Spartan Mark Francois saying it was time to “lower our spears”, many in the party’s European Research Group (ERG) remain somewhat disgruntled.
An ERG source said the group’s MPs still wanted to see ministers take advantage of the UK’s freedom to regulate, including by repealing more EU law.
They also want more done to detach from EU energy dependence, to avoid rejoining Horizon and setting up a UK fund, are unhappy about the Windsor Framework and want to see a good deal secured for fisheries.
An ERG source told : “It is glass half full. We have left the EU and free of ‘ever closer union’ we can make our own decisions and laws again.
“Some departments have taken advantage of this to strike new trade deals, to reform financial services and set new competitive regulatory environments to drive growth.
“However, there is work still to be done, there are those still arguing to entangle ourselves into aligning with EU priorities, be it on Horizon, fishing, energy and above all Northern Ireland where we have left one of the UK’s constituent nations in the EU’s single market at a great economic and democratic cost. This remains unfinished business.”
Personal data
A deal to allow the free flow of personal data between the UK and EU expires on 30 June, 2025. Brussels could extend the agreement but if the UK diverges from EU regulation it could end, according to UK in a Changing Europe’s Brexit Where Next? report.
Price of cars
British drivers will have to pay more for electric cars if ministers fail in a bid to stop tariffs being imposed under the Brexit trade deal.
The Government needs to reach a deal with the EU to avoid the new tariffs leading to a rise in showroom prices. But suggestions that Europe is split on the new rules have provided the British with new hope.
The UK has been lobbying Brussels to delay the introduction of new so-called “rules of origin” from January after Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis said it would mean crippling tariffs on exports that would leave it unable to make electric vehicles in the UK.
The new rules would also see electric vehicles imported from the EU, such as the Jaguar I-Pace and cars made by Audi, Volkswagen and Skoda, face 10 per cent tariffs that experts said would be passed on to consumers in price increases.
Energy
Provisions in the Brexit trade deal for energy co-operation expire on 30 June, 2026 unless a new agreement is reached to update or roll them over.
Source: Inews
