Hope for the best, but prepared for the worse…
Dec 25 — Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states will meet to review the Brexit trade deal with Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiator, on Christmas morning. The college of commissioners will propose that EU governments, having read and analyzed the trade deal in their national cabinets, agree to provisionally apply its terms from January 1 2021. EU diplomats said the legal process across capitals could take a few days but was likely to be complete before the end of the year. It would mean that the no-tariffs, no-quota deal is in place before the end of the transition period on December 31.
Dec 25 — Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states will meet to review the Brexit trade deal with Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiator, on Christmas morning. The college of commissioners will propose that EU governments, having read and analyzed the trade deal in their national cabinets, agree to provisionally apply its terms from January 1 2021. EU diplomats said the legal process across capitals could take a few days but was likely to be complete before the end of the year. It would mean that the no-tariffs, no-quota deal is in place before the end of the transition period on December 31.
Before Dec 31 — The EU and UK will hold a signing ceremony to mark the agreement of the free trade deal.
Dec 30 — The UK’s House of Commons will debate and vote on a “Future Relationship bill”.
Jan 1 — The Brexit transition period ends and the UK leaves the EU single market and customs union. The trade deal will have taken “provisional effect”, pending the full approval of the European Parliament, removing the need for tariff payments at the border. New customs forms and checks threaten chaos, but goodwill created by the trade deal could ease difficulties at the ports.
PAY ATTENTION
