CURRENT STATUS

• DEXEU’s position remains that the result of the referendum will be respected and the government will leave the EU on 31st October. A deal is preferable
• There is recognition that the UK should and could be better prepared but also that “we are better prepared than people think”
• 780 pieces of guidance have been issued but communication was highlighted as an issue - both in relation to comprehension of guidance by non-technical stakeholders and timeliness of information due to challenges with uploading to gov.uk

TRADE

• the UK is anticipating a ‘trade liberal approach’ citing its transitional period with a  ‘continuity approach’ (eg continuing to acknowledge EU certifications) and intentions not to compromise animal welfare or food safety standards 
• whether this is to be mirrored on the EU remains an unknown and hence uncertainty prevails 
• the temporary tariffs published on 13 March remain relevant but are also likely to be superseded (timelines unclear). If your product is not listed, you should assume a tariff of 0%
• multiple sectors expressed concerns that although the generic messages are clear, there are many sector specific issues that are less clear, and on some occasions contradict other information sources - the specific example referneced was organic certification 

HELP

• gov.uk remains the primary source of information but it is recommended that you sign up the e-alert facility to ensure you are kept up to date
• trade bodies and membership communities will be used to aid communication, manage uncertainty and deal with sector specific interpretation
• there was a genuine desire from the many civil servants in the room to help businesses of all sizes: there are a number of webinars and roadshows planned but if you would like to be connected directly please get in touch