Communication on preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 30 March 2019: a Contingency Action Plan

Summary:

The European Commission presented on 13 November 2018 a Communication on a no-deal contingency action plan, ahead of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. This document sets out a strategy in case no agreement is reached with the United Kingdom regarding its withdrawal in March 2019.

Further information:

This document outlines a limited number of contingency actions in priority areas that could be implemented if no agreement was reached with the United Kingdom. This follows a first preparedness Communication published in July 2018, following the understanding that, irrespective of the scenario envisaged, the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union would cause significant disruption. Priotity areas include residency and visa-related issues, financial services, air transport, customs, sanitary/phytosanitary rules, transfer of personal data, and climate policy.

The Commission also highlights that only a small part of preparations can be carried out by the EU institutions - preparing for the UK's withdrawal requires a joint effort at EU, national, regional and local levels, as well as by economic operators. The European Council renewed its call in June 2018 to all stakeholders to step up their work on preparedness at all levels and for all outcomes.

This Communication was published alongside the adoption of two legislative proposals to amend existing EU law in the area of visas and energy efficiency to take account of the UK's withdrawal.

• COM (2018) 744 - Proposal amending Energy Efficiency Directive and Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union
• COM (2018) 745 - Proposal amending in visa possession for third country nationals

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 13.11.18: European Commission intensifies preparedness work and outlines contingency action plan in the event of a no deal scenario with the UK http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-6403_en.htm

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News

The Guardian, 13.11.18: EU ratchets up pressure on UK with no-deal visa proposal https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/13/eu-ratchets-up-pressure-on-uk-with-fresh-no-deal-plans

France24, 13.11.18: EU officials publish contingency plans for a 'no-deal' Brexit https://www.france24.com/en/20181113-eu-publish-contingency-plan-no-deal-brexit-visa-free-travel-britons

The Local (Norway), 13.11.18: EU's 'no-deal' Brexit plan spells out bad news for British travellers https://www.thelocal.no/20181113/eu-publishes-contingency-plan-for-no-deal-brexit

Reuters, 13.11.18: EU's Timmermans says working for Brexit deal as bloc advances no-deal preparations https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1NI1QD

The Independent, 13.11.18: EU says British citizens will not need visas to visit member states in event of no deal https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-brexit-visas-no-deal-british-citizens-latest-a8631671.html

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