The British Chamber of Commerce in Brussels (BritCham) today published a position paper on the Brexit negotiations, and called for both sides to provide detail and clarity on their negotiating positions.
The paper, The Future EU-UK Trading Relationship, stresses that BritCham “is strongly in favour of a comprehensive trade agreement encompassing all aspects of trade policy from tariffs to regulatory issues, including ambitious provisions on goods and services. We note the strong need for continuity and predictability for business to be able to thrive and for jobs to be safeguarded.”
The paper covers the range of issues up for discussion, including trade in goods and services, particularly financial services, regulatory alignment and cross-border matters such as energy, climate and transport.
“The current state of the Brexit talks is precarious,” said BritCham chief executive Daniel Dalton. “It’s understandable that Covid-19 is the main focus for all governments, however businesses still do not know what terms they will be trading under next year.”
Businesses, he said, need clarity and detail on the future relationship and how the terms of trade will change.
“This is vital for our member companies who support millions of jobs and billions of euros of investment on both sides of the channel. We strongly encourage both sides to agree a deal on this fundamentally important economic relationship before the transition period ends.”
Matt Hinde, who co-chairs the BritCham in Brussels Future Relations Committee, added, “Our position paper draws on the expertise of member companies to highlight some of the unanswered questions around trade in goods and services, as well as data, legal judgments, energy, transport and trade with the rest of the world.”
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
