IRU urges both the United Kingdom and the European Union to provide carriers clear information on Brexit. The international trucking organisation cannot accept a no-deal scenario when transporting companies lack all the essential information to continue their operations – either in the UK or in the EU.
IRU calls on the UK Government as well as on the EU to step up their provision of reliable information available to road transport and logistics companies established in the EU and UK on what they should prepare for in case of “no-deal” – Matthias Maedge, general delegate of IRU claimed.
The road transport sector requires more clarity and certainty such as an adequate transition period in case of a “no-deal”. Representatives of IRU emphasized that the recent date of Brexit (that is 31 October 2019) is no longer good enough and a period of at least 12 months would be needed so that carriers could prepare for the leave. Iru considers one of its priorities to help mitigate the risk of Brexit by providing carriers and all participants of the road transportation industry with as much reliable information as possible, but the current political context makes it very difficult.
British hauliers want information and help
RHA, the British Road Haulage Association has expressed their worries about a no-deal Brexit and its consequences several times.
The only clarity we have is that there is no clarity. Businesses are really struggling to prepare” – Richard Burnett, RHA chief executive, spoke on BBC Radio 4 about the challenges hauliers are facing. He said that the exporting and importing traders were just not ready.
According to Burnett, only 40 percent of the British transport companies that carry out import-export services have already registered for customs declaration and received an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number – which is a must to be able to carry on transporting between the European Union and the United Kingdom after Brexit.
But it is not just the hauliers, who think the transporting sector is not ready for an unorganised leaving. The government report called Operation Yellowhammer reveals the presumable effects of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement on 31 October. According to this document, 50%-85% of lorries travelling across the Channel may not be ready for French customs. Even if they were ready and prepared for the new customs requirements regarding paperwork, the extra checking time at the border would lead to disruption in the supply of medicines and food and a severe shortage of such products. The British government is expecting a 3-month-long critical transition period after a no-deal Brexit.
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