This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/28/were-ready-no-matter-what-eurotunnel-all-set-for-no-deal-brexit
The article has changed 29 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Next version
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| 'We're ready no matter what': Eurotunnel all set for no-deal Brexit | 'We're ready no matter what': Eurotunnel all set for no-deal Brexit |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Eurotunnel has declared itself ready for a no-deal Brexit as it unveiled £13m of new infrastructure, including passport controls and additional border inspection posts in Calais. | Eurotunnel has declared itself ready for a no-deal Brexit as it unveiled £13m of new infrastructure, including passport controls and additional border inspection posts in Calais. |
| After two years of preparations, often in the absence of any government direction, and the millions of pounds spent on plans that may never be implemented, its parent company Getlink said it was “ready no matter what”. | After two years of preparations, often in the absence of any government direction, and the millions of pounds spent on plans that may never be implemented, its parent company Getlink said it was “ready no matter what”. |
| UK government hopes to hold fresh Brexit vote on Friday | UK government hopes to hold fresh Brexit vote on Friday |
| At the launch of the additions to its 650-hectare (1,606-acre) commercial fortress in Calais, the company said it believed it would be able to guarantee no extra delays on traffic going through the tunnel into the UK. | At the launch of the additions to its 650-hectare (1,606-acre) commercial fortress in Calais, the company said it believed it would be able to guarantee no extra delays on traffic going through the tunnel into the UK. |
| And it hopes its new infrastructure combined with more staff will mean the mandatory animal health checks needed by the EU can be easily accommodated. | And it hopes its new infrastructure combined with more staff will mean the mandatory animal health checks needed by the EU can be easily accommodated. |
| “We do not expect any delays. We are ready. This preparation is for the worst case of no deal so that in that instance the traffic continues to flow through at the same rate as it does now,” said John Keefe, the director of public affairs at Getlink. | “We do not expect any delays. We are ready. This preparation is for the worst case of no deal so that in that instance the traffic continues to flow through at the same rate as it does now,” said John Keefe, the director of public affairs at Getlink. |
| Under a £20m no-deal contingency plan implemented by the French government in January, the Eurotunnel site in Calais has been designated the official EU border inspection post for horses and other large animals. | Under a £20m no-deal contingency plan implemented by the French government in January, the Eurotunnel site in Calais has been designated the official EU border inspection post for horses and other large animals. |
| It is part of a jigsaw of checks on the French side of the Channel, with British fish due to being examined in nearby Boulogne and other fresh food a few kilometres away at a third inspection post near Calais port. | It is part of a jigsaw of checks on the French side of the Channel, with British fish due to being examined in nearby Boulogne and other fresh food a few kilometres away at a third inspection post near Calais port. |
| At the moment horses can travel freely between the three racing nations of France, Britain and Ireland as long as they have a passport and an intra-trade animal health certificate. | At the moment horses can travel freely between the three racing nations of France, Britain and Ireland as long as they have a passport and an intra-trade animal health certificate. |
| After Theresa May's statement on Tuesday, she is expected on Wednesday to meet with Jeremy Corbyn to try and agree a way forward that they could both support in the House of Commons. She spelled out that her withdrawal agreement had to be part of the agreement. The agreed plan will then be put to parliament later in the week, and taken to next week’s European Council meeting. | |
| If they could not, she said, agree a way forward, parliament may be offered a chance to choose between a series of options for the future relationship. She said the government would be bound by what the house decides – but only if Labour was too. | |
| If the UK parliament or government have significantly changed position, then a lengthy Article 50 extension may be required. EU leaders would decide how long at a summit on this date. Negotiator Michel Barnier has suggested there might be three reasons for the EU to grant a long extension: for a second referendum, a general election, or because parliament wants to again examine the political declaration. But there's no guarantee the EU27 would unanimously agree to this. | If the UK parliament or government have significantly changed position, then a lengthy Article 50 extension may be required. EU leaders would decide how long at a summit on this date. Negotiator Michel Barnier has suggested there might be three reasons for the EU to grant a long extension: for a second referendum, a general election, or because parliament wants to again examine the political declaration. But there's no guarantee the EU27 would unanimously agree to this. |
| If Theresa May's deal is not passed by parliament, then, with no other significant developments, this would be the date by international law that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. However she appears to have ruled out allowing this to happen. | |
| If Theresa May's new proposal does pass parliament, this would be the scheduled date of the UK's departure from the EU. | |
| Unless there is a further longer extension of article 50, the EU27 will vote for a new set of MEPs without the UK participating. However, if Brexit has been further delayed, the UK would hold European elections on the Thursday. | Unless there is a further longer extension of article 50, the EU27 will vote for a new set of MEPs without the UK participating. However, if Brexit has been further delayed, the UK would hold European elections on the Thursday. |
| If Theresa May's deal passes parliament, she is expected to stand down after the UK leaves the EU on 22 May, triggering a contest for the leadership of the Conservative party. There has been some suggestion though that she might hold out through the summer so that the contest takes place after the next Tory conference in October. | If Theresa May's deal passes parliament, she is expected to stand down after the UK leaves the EU on 22 May, triggering a contest for the leadership of the Conservative party. There has been some suggestion though that she might hold out through the summer so that the contest takes place after the next Tory conference in October. |
| In the event of a no-deal Brexit a newly built border inspection post awaits for all racehorses and bloodstock to be physically checked in at Calais. Stables for queues of up to 20 horses are expected to be completed in the coming days. | In the event of a no-deal Brexit a newly built border inspection post awaits for all racehorses and bloodstock to be physically checked in at Calais. Stables for queues of up to 20 horses are expected to be completed in the coming days. |
| The checks will be mandatory to guard against the spread of disease such as the recent outbreak of equine flu, which caused the cancellation of horse races in Britain. | The checks will be mandatory to guard against the spread of disease such as the recent outbreak of equine flu, which caused the cancellation of horse races in Britain. |
| The French authorities have been performing dry runs for customs declarations and on Thursday security staff were out in force stamping specimen customs declarations forms. | The French authorities have been performing dry runs for customs declarations and on Thursday security staff were out in force stamping specimen customs declarations forms. |
| As the British government has already said it will not be conducting any checks on goods coming into the UK, these rehearsals remain academic, but part of the meticulous planning in motion for a no-deal Brexit in France. | As the British government has already said it will not be conducting any checks on goods coming into the UK, these rehearsals remain academic, but part of the meticulous planning in motion for a no-deal Brexit in France. |
| In the event all runs smoothly in Dover, the key risk for British business is expected to centre on animal and food exports, which will be subject to mandatory controls for disease and pests. This means 100% documentary checks on animals and physical checks for 20% of beef, pork and lamb, and 50% of poultry. | In the event all runs smoothly in Dover, the key risk for British business is expected to centre on animal and food exports, which will be subject to mandatory controls for disease and pests. This means 100% documentary checks on animals and physical checks for 20% of beef, pork and lamb, and 50% of poultry. |
| As well as the new infrastructure, Eurotunnel also unveiled “green and orange” routes for entry into France and the EU. | As well as the new infrastructure, Eurotunnel also unveiled “green and orange” routes for entry into France and the EU. |
| Those requiring checks will be directed on the orange route towards a border control zone involving customs, sanitary and phytosanitary checks featuring nine bays, where a truck can be fully unloaded in secure and temperature-controlled warehousing. | Those requiring checks will be directed on the orange route towards a border control zone involving customs, sanitary and phytosanitary checks featuring nine bays, where a truck can be fully unloaded in secure and temperature-controlled warehousing. |
| “We have space for 100 trucks to be parked, 50% of our hourly traffic, and that’s way more than the authorities say they need,” said Keefe. “We’ve spent €15m on new buildings, warehousing, e-gates for passport checks, cameras, scanners, roads and signage.” | “We have space for 100 trucks to be parked, 50% of our hourly traffic, and that’s way more than the authorities say they need,” said Keefe. “We’ve spent €15m on new buildings, warehousing, e-gates for passport checks, cameras, scanners, roads and signage.” |
| Thursday was not a typical day for Eurotunnel traffic flow, with a French customs work-to-rule protest causing 23 miles of queues from Calais to the Belgian border. | Thursday was not a typical day for Eurotunnel traffic flow, with a French customs work-to-rule protest causing 23 miles of queues from Calais to the Belgian border. |
| The work to rule strike has been disrupting traffic for three weeks, causing delays of up to six hours. Tempers were frayed as drivers waited for security checks. | The work to rule strike has been disrupting traffic for three weeks, causing delays of up to six hours. Tempers were frayed as drivers waited for security checks. |
| “Brexit will be the death of the UK,” declared one French driver as he waited at the “pit stop”, where 20 heavy goods vehicles at a time were stopped to be checked by dogs straining at their leashes as they sniffed for stowaways. | “Brexit will be the death of the UK,” declared one French driver as he waited at the “pit stop”, where 20 heavy goods vehicles at a time were stopped to be checked by dogs straining at their leashes as they sniffed for stowaways. |
| Although the delays are not related to Brexit, they illustrate the potential impact of disruption and the risk posed by a no-deal scenario if all does not go as smoothly as everyone on the French side of the border intends. | Although the delays are not related to Brexit, they illustrate the potential impact of disruption and the risk posed by a no-deal scenario if all does not go as smoothly as everyone on the French side of the border intends. |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| Channel Tunnel | Channel Tunnel |
| France | France |
| Immigration and asylum | Immigration and asylum |
| Foreign policy | Foreign policy |
| Europe | Europe |
| European Union | European Union |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |