The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has written to Secretary of State Rt Hon Michael Gove with serious concerns about his department’s preparations for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit scenario.
The letter from Lord Teverson to Michael Gove challenged Defra no-deal preparations after his appearance in front of the committee last week raised questions about its readiness for Brexit.
Lord Teverson warned of his concerns of “significant impacts on key sectors” adding that although progress had been made, there were several preparations that would not be able to be delivered in the event of a ‘no-deal’ exit.
Among the major concerns were the “catastrophic” impact of any delays to the export of UK animals into the EU.
At the meeting last week, Gove told the panel listing animal exports could take up to six months, during which time no animal exports could take place.
Teverson highlighted that exporters needed to know now what action they should take and when – whether it would be possible to apply for certification ahead of time or whether they would need to wait until March 30 to begin the process.
The committee’s letter raised five key concerns:
Delays to animal exports
Unless the Government can persuade the EU to give the UK ‘listed’ status in advance of Brexit, all animal exports could be halted for months.
Border Inspection Posts
All animal exports that currently travel Dover-Calais will have to be re-routed. Calais does not have a Border Inspection Post; something all animal exports would have to pass through in a ‘no-deal’ scenario.
Controlling access to UK waters
The committee was concerned that the Secretary of State had yet to receive permission to obtain the additional staff and boats required for fisheries control and enforcement.
Waste shipments
No agreement has been reached on how shipments of waste from the UK to the EU will be approved. The waste industry has told the committee that this could lead to 1.8 million tonnes of waste being ‘stranded’ in the UK.
Chemical regulation
The Secretary of State seemed unaware that UK chemical companies may not own the rights to the data that proves their chemicals are safe to use.
The Government’s plans for the chemical industry in the case of a ‘no deal’ Brexit are predicated on companies being able to provide this.
