EU DAG ADVANCES WORK ON TCA IMPLEMENTATION
On 4 February, CLECAT attended the second meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) under the EU-UK Trade and Facilitation Agreement (TCA), which advises the EU Commission on the TCA implementation. EU DAG members reflected on experiences with EU-UK trade one year after the post Brexit deal entered into force and outlined remaining challenges and priorities.
The business group of the EU DAG highlighted several areas of priority including preserving the level playing field and avoiding regulatory divergence between the EU and the UK; facilitating sanitary and phytosanitary controls (SPS) to support agri-food supply chains; reinforce customs cooperation and tacking issues affecting transport and logistics which ultimately impact across different sectors. DAG members also stressed the importance of closely monitoring and assessing the impact of UK’s external trade agenda and its impact on EU trade negotiations and competitiveness of EU businesses. The EU DAG agreed on the importance of finding workable solutions to the implementation of the Protocol for Northern Ireland, which could impact the proper implementation of the TCA.
The transport sub-group, of which CLECAT is a member, further emphasised the importance of parties’ commitments relating to the establishment of Single Window, mutual recognition of their respective AEO programmes and increased cooperation on safety and security and taxation. Additionally, issues relating to freeports, public procurement and passengers’ transport were also highlighted as priorities for the transport and logistics sector.
The EU DAG will move forward with operationalising the various points brought up by its members into concrete proposals to share with policy makers and seek to establish first contact with its UK counterpart which is going to be set up soon.