July 20, 2020

The Commission says that the Communication, “Getting ready for changes”, is to designed help national authorities, businesses and citizens prepare for the inevitable changes that will arise at the end of the transition period. Changes will occur to cross-border exchanges between the EU and the UK as of 1 January 2021, irrespective of whether an agreement on a future partnership has been concluded or not.

The Communication sets out a sector-by-sector overview of the main areas where there will be changes regardless of the outcome of the ongoing EU-UK negotiations, and sets out measures that national authorities, businesses and citizens should take in order to be ready for these changes. The Commission says that it does not seek to prejudge the outcome of negotiations. As such, it does not examine the possible implications of a failure to reach an agreement, nor does it consider the need for contingency measures.

In parallel, the European Commission is reviewing and, where necessary, updating all 102 stakeholder Notices, published at the time of the withdrawal negotiations, many of which continue to be relevant for the end of the transition period. The list of more than 50 updated notices is in annex to the Communication and all are available on the Commission’s dedicated webpage.

The Commission says that it will work closely with national authorities, businesses and other stakeholders over the coming months to help them prepare for the far-reaching changes that will occur at the end of the year, irrespective of whether an agreement is found. To access the Communication, click here.