The government of Boris Johnson has canceled the introduction of planned inspections after Brexit of food entering the United Kingdom from the EU, said Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.
In a written statement to the municipality, the Minister of Brexit Opportunities said that the controls, which should come into force on July 1, will not be implemented in 2022.
“There will be no additional controls on imports of goods from the EU this year – businesses may stop preparing for July,” said Rees-Mogg.
Mr Rees-Mogg suggested that the government plan a complete overhaul of its border control plans, revealing that the end of 2023 is the goal of a brand new “control regime”.
The Independent revealed last month that the government is set to lift control of imports amid growing fears that they will exacerbate the cost of living crisis.
Mr Rees-Mogh cited the cost of living as the main reason for the move – but blamed rising costs for “Russia’s war in Ukraine and energy prices”.
The Brexit Minister added: “It would therefore be wrong to impose new administrative burdens and risk disrupting ports and supply chains at this time.”
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) inspections scheduled for 1 July would lead to inspections of imports of agricultural food and plants, adding approximately £ 1 billion to trade costs.
There were also concerns that British ports did not have the necessary infrastructure – or veterinary experts – needed for rigorous new inspections, which included random physical inspections.
The Cold Chain Federation and British meat processors were among the industry groups calling for inspections – already postponed there – to be postponed again this year, calling the additional controls a “nightmare” for small businesses.
The Small Business Federation welcomed the government’s decision Thursday. “This move will give them more time to prepare for future changes and reassess supply chains,” said President Martin McTaig.
Despite spending millions on border checkpoints, Mr Rees-Mogg said the government would “speed up” its plans to “digitize Britain’s borders” in a bid to reduce current trade fiction.
Cold Chain Federation chief Shane Brennan also backed the government’s reversal, saying the inspections “would have made the bad situation much worse”. He welcomed Mr Rees-Mogg’s commitment to “rethink the way these controls work”.
Meanwhile, European Minister James Cleverley told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that the United Kingdom and the EU were at a dead end due to changes in the Protocol on Northern Ireland.
“The truth is that we have reached a dead end and I do not think it is due to a lack of good will, but I think it is rather through what we see in the UK as an overly limited (EU) negotiating mandate,” he said. he said.
Regarding the protocol, Mr Cleverley said: “It doesn’t work. He’s not doing what he’s meant to do … and that in turn is causing tension in the NI community that we think needs to be addressed. “
Warning of potential violence ahead, Mr Cleverley said: “Many of us have experienced the Problems. We are absolutely determined to defend the Good Friday Agreement and not go back to that point in time.
However, the minister did not want to reveal any details about the bill, which was reportedly drafted to unilaterally “tear” parts of the protocol that Mr Johnson’s government did not like.
“We are looking at a number of options for what we can do to alleviate this tension – I do not want to go beyond that,” he said.
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