EC regrets red tape

Says the ever-reliable Graun:

Brexit led to 14% fall in UK exports to EU in 2021, trade figures say

Goods and services exported to bloc affected by return of customs border, EU commissioner says

 Eurostat figures put imports to the EU from the UK falling from €169bn (£144bn) in 2020 to €146bn in 2021 – a drop of 13.6%....Eurostat figures show services, also impacted by Brexit, fell by 7% in 2021 compared with 2019. This category includes everything from financial services to professional services such as architecture, marketing and accounting.

Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission vice-president and Brexit negotiator, said that even with the impact of the pandemic being taken into account, the increase in red tape since the transition period ended in January 2021 has taken its toll on trade in goods and services with the UK.

“One result of Brexit was the return of a customs border between the EU and Great Britain. This means paperwork for virtually every product shipping between our markets. It means checks on thousands of goods being carried out on a daily basis.

Since the end of the transition period in January 2021, all goods exported to the EU must be accompanied by a plethora of paperwork documenting compliance with EU standards, as Britain is being treated as any “third country” such as India, Australia or the US trying to sell into the single market.

Northern Ireland is exempted from the paperwork requirements because of the special arrangements in the protocol allowing it to continue to trade with the EU as if it remained a member state.

 

Lovely that the European Commission might regret the increase in red tape.Nothing to do with them that the UK is treated just the same as copuntries that have not bheen trading with them for 40 yerars already.  The last paragraph might indicate the point of all this, of course.