According to the report, neither the Government nor businesses will be fully prepared when the UK leaves the EU on 31 December 2020. The report warns that:

• the Northern Ireland Protocol will not be implemented on 1 January 2021;
• disruption at the EU-GB border is inevitable due to poor trader readiness and EU checks; and
• the Covid-19 crisis means many UK firms are less prepared than they were last year.

Some of the report’s recommendations include:

• the EU should acknowledge that fully implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol by January 2021 will be almost impossible and should be ready to show some flexibility;
• the Government should consider light-touch enforcement or further delays to new import controls to minimise disruption at the border;
• the government should clearly communicate the practical impact of leaving the single market and customs union, in particular, the greater level of bureaucracy traders will face from the end of the year, deal or no deal; and
• The Government should work closely with business groups to identify where targeted economic support for firms affected by Brexit may complement its coronavirus economic response.

To access the full report, click here.