“Neither the EU nor the U.K. are ready for Brexit, and as a consequence European industry is also not adequately prepared, for this cliff-edge scenario.”
Lack of “coherent preparation” by governments left manufacturers “woefully unprepared” for a no-deal outcome.
By Alex Morales for Bloomberg
Photo: Matt Cardy, Getty Images
U.K. manufacturers and their counterparts across the European Union said they’re “woefully” unprepared for a no-deal Brexit and called on the bloc to avoid Britain leaving without an agreement.
“Neither the EU nor the U.K. are ready, and as a consequence European industry is also not adequately prepared, for this cliff-edge scenario,” manufacturing lobby groups MakeUK and Ceemet said Wednesday in a letter to governments and EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier. In a separate statement, they said a lack of “coherent preparation” by governments left manufacturers “woefully unprepared” for a no-deal outcome.
In addition to calling on governments to ensure a no-deal Brexit doesn’t happen, the groups want measures to mitigate any damage. In that scenario, British goods would need to undergo regulatory tests in the EU, they said, while U.K. professional qualifications would no longer be automatically recognized on the continent. There are also issues around visas for business travel.
“These are just a handful of the complexities in the relationship between the EU and the U.K. which have not been addressed in the event of a no-deal exit,” they wrote.
