Cian Hassett, Trade Marketing Executive, London Office, Bord Bia - The Irish Food Board
Key events this week:
DAFM Brexit Event Summary
The event in Dublin Castle on September 10th was helpful for companies in the run up to Brexit, there was over 300 in attendance and all were highly engaged. Overall it was an effective way of delivering key messages about what businesses should be doing to ensure trade moves as efficiently as possible, with Minister Creed and Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy both speaking on Brexit and how people should be prepared. Minister Creed, Tara McCarthy and All Department of Ag representatives were in agreement and aligned in regards to “Controlling the Controllable”. They were attempting to get the message across to all those in attendance that regardless of the outcome on October 31st, the UK is leaving the EU now with 3rd country legislation around paperwork, systems, licencing etc. This is all available to begin now and it is important that everyone is ready. Companies in attendance were reiterating how important Bord Bias available tools were, with many stating that they have already helped to shape their own action plans based on the issues they had identified.
Advice was given by Irish suppliers to absolutely lean on, and contact, customs traders and agents through the Revenue as they are the experts and are there to answer the detailed/specific questions that the smaller more niche businesses have around their goods. The suppliers also mentioned how useful and important the Bord Bia diagnostic tool was, which in turn helped them shape their action plan based on the issues that were identified post session. She advised all companies to set up an internal team and/or resource when it comes to Brexit planning or, even on a smaller scale, ensuring you have at least the bare minimum requirements completed and that the information is correct.
For information relating to Imports: www.agriculture.gov.ie/brexit
Helpful for clarification on;
- CVEDS
- CN Codes
- Trace Registration
- Required veterinary certs
For information on the land bridge:
www.revenue.ie/en/customs-traders-and-agents/Brexit/index.aspx
This will clarify customs transit and how you can organise financial guarantees.
For Loans/Schemes/Financial Aid from Banking Corporation of Ireland
www.scbi.gov.ie
If you are a company and have YET to take action here:
It was suggested that these should be your first steps
- Register with Revenue
- Register with DAFM
- Contact/Register with the HSE (for food of plant origin).
The 2019 Brexit Barometer Industry Findings Report and Action Plan can now be downloaded from the Bord Bia website. The Action Plan provides practical information and outlines a number of steps that Irish food and drink companies can take in order to mitigate the risks posed by Brexit.
Information on the support services can be found by following the above links. Alternatively, all information can be found on the Brexit page on the Bord Bia website: https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/trading-with-uk/
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are also hosting numerous events over the next month based on Brexit and the steps that agri-food businesses can take to keep trade moving. More info on these, including registration links and the topics that will be covered, can be found at the below link:
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/brexit/events/
Upcoming DAFM Event Dates & Locations:
- 27th September: Johnston Castle, Co. Wexford – Minister Doyle will open and address all companies in attendance.
- 30th September: Radisson Blu, Little Island, Co. Cork – Minister Creed will open and address all companies in attendance.
2019 National Ploughing Championships
Meet Bord Bia at the Brexit Hub at the Government of Ireland Village during this year’s National Ploughing Championships.
The national ploughing championships will be taking place in Carlow 17th-19th September and there will be a strong presence from government agencies at the Brexit hub, in the Government of Ireland village. There will be government talks, discussions and activities, including daily Getting Brexit Ready workshops and a range of Ministerial discussions.
Brussels still waiting for ‘concrete’ Brexit proposals from the UK.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier is still waiting for comprehensive proposals from the UK on how to prevent a hard Irish Border, as he warned that a no-deal Brexit remains a possibility.Barnier told European Parliament leaders that it was impossible to say whether negotiations with Boris Johnson’s government could lead to a deal by a summit of EU leaders in mid-October. Mr Barnier said that Boris Johnson’s threats to take Britain out of the EU without a deal seemed to be an attempt to ramp up pressure on the bloc to compromise. He also confirmed that Britain is seeking to rewrite plans on its future relationship with the bloc to make clear it wants a free trade agreement but not a customs union.
Scotland’s highest court rules prorogation of UK parliament unlawful.
The court ruled that Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful but stopped short of ordering the recall of MPs ahead of a UK Supreme Court hearing on the issue next week. In a ruling that sent shockwaves through political and legal circles, Edinburgh’s Court of Session said that Mr Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament ahead of Brexit was motivated by the improper purpose of stymying parliament. This decision was followed by the High Court in Belfast on Thursday dismissing a legal case brought against the UK government by victims’ rights campaigner Raymond McCord, with the Lord Justice Bernard McCloskey claiming the cases could not be considered as they were inherently and unmistakably political.
No-deal Brexit would be ‘existential threat’ to many Northern Irish businesses, Boris Johnson hears.
Johnson was warned by Northern Ireland business leaders on Wednesday that a no-deal Brexit was an “existential threat” to many companies, and told to rethink his opposition to a carve-out for the region in the EU single market. The group of more than 100 business people told Mr Johnson he should consider reverting to the original EU plan of a Northern Ireland-only backstop, a measure fiercely opposed by the Democratic Unionist party.
Boris Johnson softens his Brexit stance on Irish border.
The PM on Monday signalled a retreat from his hard-line Brexit position on the Irish border, as he admitted that a no-deal departure by Britain from the EU would be a failure of statecraft, damaging both the UK and Ireland. Johnson confirmed he would be willing to see agriculture and food treated as part of an “all-Ireland economy” based on EU rules after Brexit, in a move aimed at ensuring no health checks on produce passing over the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
DAFM Event Dates & Locations:
- 27th September: Johnston Castle, Co. Wexford
- 30th September: Radisson Blu, Little Island, Co. Cork
Looking ahead:
14th – 17th September: Lib Dem Conference
21st – 25th September: Labour Party Conference
29th September– 2nd October: Conservative Party Conference
14th October: UK Parliament returns – 3 sitting weeks before Brexit
17th – 18th October: European Council Summit
24th October: The earliest date a General Election can take place.