EU ambassadors give green light to trade deal

EU ambassadors have given provisional approval for Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal to be implemented from January 1.

A spokesman for the German European Union presidency said the ambassadors had unanimously agreed to “green light” the settlement hammered out on Christmas Eve.

The move paves the way for the agreement which allows for the UK’s continued tariff-free trade with the EU single market to take effect when the current Brexit transition period expires on Thursday.

“EU ambassadors have unanimously approved the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement as of January 1, 2021,” the spokesman for the German presidency said.

It comes as MPs in Britain were preparing to vote on the deal in a special sitting of Parliament called for tomorrow.

It is likely to pass through both

‘There will be bumpy moments but we are there in order to try to do everything we can to smooth the path’ MICHAEL GOVE

Houses, with Labour ordering its MPs to vote for the “thin” treaty because the only other option is a chaotic departure without a trade deal.

The European Parliament must also formally ratify the deal in the new year – although this will now apply retrospectively.

The agreement came as ministers stepped up calls for businesses and individuals to prepare for the new procedures that will apply in just four days’ time, regardless of the agreement.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove warned time was “very short” as he acknowledged there were likely to be some “bumpy moments” as the new arrangements came into effect.

He said firms needed to be ready for new customs procedures, while he urged UK citizens to take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover health costs and to check their mobile telephone roaming policies to avoid charges if they were travelling to the EU.

“I think lots of businesses are ready, particularly the larger businesses. Some smaller businesses will still want to do a bit more in order to be ready,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“We are there to help them and the advice that we’re giving, and also the money that we’ve invested in making sure that people can be ready for customs procedures, is designed to help.

“I’m sure there will be bumpy moments but we are there in order to try to do everything we can to smooth the path.”

Meanwhile, Britons are facing new rules over the sending of parcels to the EU in light of Brexit, the Post Office has said. Any parcel containing gifts or goods that is being sent from England, Scotland or Wales to an EU country from today should have a customs declaration form attached to it.

Despite the customs label coming into effect on January 1, the Post Office is advising anyone who sends a parcel from today to attach the document to help avoid delays.

It also states that changes from January 1 mean people will have to be “fully prepared” for a trip to the EU and get travel insurance, as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will no longer be valid for UK citizens. They are also urged to take out an International Driving Permit. Anyone thinking of travelling to an EU destination should check the validity of their passport before they leave and ensure it has at least six months left on it, the Post Office advises.

It also notes that pet passports will not be valid from January 1, saying the process for taking a pet abroad could take as long as four months, and possibly longer. If the UK is categorised as an “unlisted” country, a pet will need an EU-verified vaccination against rabies, the Post Office states.

Once a pet is vaccinated in the UK, its blood sample needs to be verified by an EU-approved testing facility, it adds.