Trucks parked at Dover Harbor, UK, on December 22nd.
Photographer: Luke MacGregor / Bloomberg
Photographer: Luke MacGregor / Bloomberg
The European Commission has called on Member States to reopen trade and critical passenger transport links to the UK, while discouraging non-essential travel, a step towards ending the chaos in Britain’s busiest port.
The Brussels-based commission said in a a statement that the carriage of goods to and from the United Kingdom should be allowed to continue uninterrupted, but that any unnecessary travel should be avoided “until further notice”.
“Flight and train bans should be lifted, given the need to ensure essential travel and to avoid supply chain disruptions,” the EU executive said on Tuesday.
The British government is desperately trying to reopen trade routes to France after a day of political barter failed to end the stalemate. France stopped freight traffic in Dover, south-east England, at midnight on Sunday over fears of a faster-spreading mutant strain of Covid-19 that forced the British government to impose a strict blockade on London and areas. surrounding.
Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal are among more than 40 countries that restrict flights and effectively isolate the UK
EU ambassadors will discuss the recommendation on Tuesday, and bloc governments have previously pledged to coordinate their response.
Turbulence
Two days of border disruption saw more than 1,500 trucks backing up roads in the south-east of England and threatening the lack of fresh food in British supermarkets before Christmas.
It also offered the country a taste of the border overturn that could take place in less than two weeks if the UK fails to reach a trade agreement with the European Union before the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December. Without an agreement, the UK will implicitly trade with the EU under the terms of the World Trade Organization, with the imposition of expensive tariffs and quotas.
Non-essential travel between the United Kingdom and the EU will be temporarily restricted anyway from 1 January, when the United Kingdom will leave the customs union. As a so-called third country, the United Kingdom will be subject to Covid restrictions.
The commission said truck drivers arriving from the UK could be asked to undergo coronavirus tests or be quarantined – as long as the requirements do not disrupt supply chains.
A driver is waiting in the cab of his truck in the Port of Dover, Great Britain, on December 22.
Photographer: Luke MacGregor / Bloomberg
Covide tests
But French and British officials disagreed on the type of test to use, according to two people familiar with the matter. The French side requires carriers to perform PCR tests, which give a result between 24 and 48 hours, while the UK prefers side-flow tests that are less accurate but only last about 15 minutes – so it could ease the queues longer. quick.
Richard Ballantyne, who heads the British Ports Association, said he hoped there could be an exemption for freight drivers that would be combined with testing for Covid-19 at the border.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron to try to resolve the issue, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been in regular contact with his French counterpart for the past two days.
The United Kingdom Road Transport Association welcomed the European Commission’s statement.
“We the hope The French government will immediately lift this unnecessary ban, as a result, “said Rod McKenzie, director general of policy and public affairs for the trade group. good.”
“Foolish”
The shares of European airlines highly exposed to the UK market were largely pre-existing. EasyJet Plc rose 4.4% after postponing expensive aircraft deliveries earlier Tuesday. The owner of British Airways, IAG SA, advanced by 5.1%, while the Irishman discounts Ryanair Holdings Plc has been slightly changed.
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But the head of the Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, warned that the European Commission’s move had not come quickly enough and accused France of being “reckless”. He said the delay would be manageable if the trucks could move by the end of Tuesday, but that there would be more risk of spoiled food.
“In the busiest week on the market, before Christmas, people are stuck and little thought has been given to people being left stuck and unable to get home to their families before Christmas,” he said.
– With the assistance of Lizzy Burden, Charlotte Ryan, Joe Mayes and Anthony Palazzo
(Updates with committee comments in the third paragraph)