On Wednesday 9 December, farmers and agricooperatives, food manufacturers, traders and agri-food sector workers called for a comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and the UK “free of tariffs and quotas” with close harmonisation of rules, including on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
In a joint press release, FoodDrinkEurope, Copa-Cogeca, CELCAA and EFFAT make five urgent requests and point out that a no-deal Brexit, with the imposition of tariffs and heavy customs requirements, “will create a dire situation”.
The United Kingdom will leave the Single Market and the Customs Union, resulting in customs procedures, regulatory burdens and rising transport costs, the organisations say.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the agri-food sector asks for support to be provided under the 'EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve' with a total proposed budget of €5 billion.
Finally, workers' rights must be protected, according to the organisations. Link to the press release: https://bit.ly/3lZTreZ (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)