Brussels should stop complaining about the UK’s decision to leave the EU and instead try to make Brexit work, according to new cabinet minister Lord David Frost.
The UK’s new de-facto Brexit minister said he hoped the EU “will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving” and “instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals”.
Frost’s comments come just days after Boris Johnson decided to unilaterally extend the current Northern Ireland customs grace period for supermarket goods, medicines and parcels for another six months until the end of October.
The move means there will be no new checks on these goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in order until October to give businesses more time to adapt to the new rules.
The grace period was due to run out at the end of March and the UK had previously asked for a negotiated extension.
Johnson’s decision to move without Brussels’ approval infuriated EU officials, who claim the UK has now broken the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, and are threatening to launch legal action.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Frost blamed the EU for not being more flexible on Northern Ireland’s border arrangements.
Frost, who negotiated the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and trade deal, said the EU had “significantly undermined cross-community confidence in the [Northern Ireland] Protocol” when it temporarily called to suspend it during a vaccines dispute with the UK in January.
“As the government of the whole of our country we have to deal with that situation – one that remains fragile,” Frost said.
“That is why we have had to take some temporary operational steps to minimise disruption in Northern Ireland. They are lawful and are consistent with a progressive and good faith implementation of the Protocol.
“They are about protecting the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland, making sure they can receive parcels and buy the usual groceries from the supermarket.”
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet.
This week: EURACTIV takes a look at why butter is hitting the headlines in Canada and what implications this could have for the EU, and we talk about the upcoming ‘super-trilogue’ which has been called by the Portuguese Presidency this week in an attempt to finally wrap up CAP negotiations.
Canadian consumers are complaining about the quality of the country’s butter. Is that something we need to be worried about too?
In the midst of the pandemic, Candian foodies started to realise that something was amiss with their butter.The product itself tasted the same. It’s just that it did not seem as soft as it once was. In particular, local butter had become so firm that it was hardly spreadable at room temperature.
At the beginning of February, the Canadian cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal first pointed out the mystery of the ‘hard’ butter on Twitter. The debate then spread, turning into something national media dubbed as ‘buttergate’.
Some suggested that the higher demand for butter during the pandemic led to changes in livestock feed, as farmers sought to boost yield by modifying the fatty acid profile of bovine milk.
Like many other factors, fat intake can determine butter consistency, so the blame was put on the increased use of palm oil fat supplements in cattle feed.
Which is yet to be verified: Canada’s Dairy Processors Association (DPA) said there have been no changes to butter production, although they have since established an expert panel to look into the problem, asking producers to stop the practice in the meantime.
So, it’s as yet unclear whether ‘buttergate’ has scientific grounds or it’s only the fruit of media hype.
However, given the attention the scandal has received overseas, we decided to shed some light on the issue on this side of the Atlantic too.
If like me, you have trouble picturing the whole situation without thinking of cows eating Nutella – as the makers of the Italian spread have made no secret of using palm oil – I’ll have you know that feeding cattle with palm oil is a well-known practice, as the website of the French livestock farming institute shows.
The story is more about the feed ratios of a part of the Canadian dairy herd, as palm kernel extract (PKE) is also used in New Zealand dairy and in many Asian dairy sectors.
Contacted by EURACTIV, the European Dairy Association (EDA) said that feeding by-products from palm oil production can be considered as part of a circular economy approach.
As long as the overall daily feed ration is balanced and targeted to the cows’ specific metabolism, this does not harm them, they added.
Of course, the daily feed ratio can have a certain influence on the milk and hence on the qualities/texture of a dairy product like butter.
That’s why the French cheese Comté has a slight difference in taste in winter compared to summer.
How could this ‘buttergate’ affect Europe?
The good news is that European consumers should not be worried about the quality of Canadian butter simply because the EU does not import any butter from Canada.
Literally, 0 tonnes. We checked that with a little help from EUROSTAT, the EU’s statistical office.
The reason why butter imports from Canada are virtually non-existent lies in a supply management system for milk aimed at self-sufficiency, as well as in a complicated subsidy regime that does not make the North American country a competitive supplier of dairy products.
As the secretary-general of the EU’s milk traders association Eucolait, Jukka Likitalo, explained, the subsidy scheme “milk class 7” allows Canada to export butter, skimmed milk powder (SMP) and whey powder below the cost of production, but there is no import demand for these products in Europe.
“Due to its consumption patterns, Canada has a structural surplus of dairy protein and a shortage of butter. I can imagine that the increased retail sales during the pandemic have made this worse,” he told EURACTIV.
Another aspect involves the possibility for Europe to take advantage of such a consumers’ mistrust in Canadian butter, as a shortage of this product is expected.
Canada is an important export market for the EU, especially for cheese which has been granted improved market access in the form of a zero duty quota under the CETA agreement.
Europe also exports small volumes of butter to Canada and there could be some limited additional opportunities there for European producers in case demand has indeed increased.
“At the same time, export growth will be constrained as the Canadian market is heavily protected by prohibitive tariffs and imports only make sense within import quotas conceded by Canada within the World Trade Organisation (WTO),” said Eurolait’s Likitalo.
Likewise, EDA doesn’t see a shortage of dairy products on the horizon in Canada, also considering that dairy exports to Canada are limited through the CETA agreement and the very unique way the Canadians manage their import quota system.
We can wrap this up like this: Canadian foodies have problems in spreading their butter, but these problems will not spread to Europe.
Portuguese presidency calls ‘super trilogue’ to seek CAP breakthrough
Portugal’s agriculture minister Maria do Céu Antunes will by the end of March convene a joint negotiation meeting with all three rapporteurs in the European parliament to seek a breakthrough in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) talks. Gerardo Fortuna has the story.
Hungary: Greens are ‘gunning’ for EU agricultural subsidies system
Hungary’s agriculture ministry has launched a scathing attack on the Greens/EFA political group after the publication of a damning report detailing the misuse of EU farming subsidy money in the country. Natasha Foote has more.
Beyond Farm to Fork: the ‘agricultural’ side of EU’s biodiversity strategy
The European Union’s bid to tackle biodiversity loss goes hand in hand with the new ambition of making the food system more sustainable, involving several farming aspects. Gerardo Fortuna has more.
French lawmakers denounce EFSA’s ‘toxic’ pesticides assessments
More than a hundred French lawmakers have joined forces to denounce the EU’s evaluation of pesticides and demand that the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) step up its assessments in line with EU regulation, a criticism that the agency rejects. Read more.
UK fishing sector sees more job losses due to post-Brexit export troubles
Britain could lose more jobs in its fishing sector if the current delays and increased costs involved in exporting to the EU post-Brexit are not ironed out soon, industry groups told British government officials on Tuesday (2 March). Learn more.
News from the bubble
CAP corner: The main issues discussed during the sixth trilogue on the CAP strategic plans regulation included the definition of what constitutes an activefarmer. EU sources told EURACTIV that many member states insisted on keeping the definition voluntary, new farmers and payment for small farmers.
The Austrian delegation also presented a proposal on the sticky issue of social conditionality, which was initially supported by many countries, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, but more countries referred positively to it during the meeting. The proposal includes two steps: enhance the role of Farm Advisory Services and evaluate the results of this enhancement after a certain period of time (i.e. three years) in the view of deciding whether further action would be needed.
While many delegations reiterated previous assertions that this is outside the remit of the CAP, a few member states questioned the level of ambition of the Austrian proposal and expressed their openness in exploring other options (e.g. social conditionality conditional on court rulings).
In other news, according to a new study released by the Commission this week, the information policy on the CAP has been successful in improving understanding and perceptions of the policy. Based on figures from Eurobarometer and results of a stakeholder survey conducted as part of the study, awareness of the CAP was found to have increased over the last five years, and perceptions of its performance have improved.
Cancer plan does not meat expectations: In a parliamentary question, Green MEP Francisco Guerreiro asked the Commission why they rephrased the final version of the EU’s beating cancer plan, softening the stance on meat. A previous draft of the plan, obtained by EURACTIV, read that the EU promotion policy for agricultural products would be reviewed “in view of phasing out promotion of foods linked with cancer risks, such as red and processed meat,” but this reference to meat has been attenuated in the final text.
Food waste: The United Nations Environment Programme released its 2021 food waste index report this week, which found that around 931 million tonnes of food waste were generated in 2019, 61% of which came from households, 26% from foodservice and 13% from retail. This suggests that 17% of total global food production may be wasted.
Geographical indications: The agreement on protected geographical indications (PGI) between China and the EU to certify the origin of products entered into force on Monday, March 1, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced. According to EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France, The text lists 100 European food products and as many Chinese products that will be protected from imitation.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has approved the application for the inclusion of “Escavèche de Chimay” from Belgium in the register of protected geographical indications (PGI). The ‘Escavèche de Chimay’ is a cold preparation of cooked fish coated in a jellied, vinegar sauce containing onions.
Migrant workers: The European Parliament released a briefing last month on the situation of migrant seasonal agricultural workers which provides an overview of the perspective of the EU institutions.
Sour taste: Italy buys itself some time in the balsamic vinegar dispute with Slovenia. Rome has filed a last-minute opinion to reset the clock in the procedure which gives the Commission three more months to further examine the matter. Slovenia notified the EU executive in early December of some national draft rules which ensures that any hashing of wine vinegar can be sold as balsamic vinegar. The Slovenian technical standard was challenged by Italy, which considers balsamic vinegar as a national food specialty. See more here.
Agrifood news from the Capitals
FRANCE
The yearly price negotiations between the French food producing industry and large retailers has officially come to an end on Monday (1 March). After three months of tense discussions, both sides remain unsatisfied with the outcome. Farmers and the food producing industry denounce an ongoing “price war”, accusing retailers of failing to take into account the rising costs for raw materials. The French minister for agriculture and food, Julien Denormandie, has multiplied his messages in support of the agricultural sector in recent weeks. “Agriculture should not be the variable of adjustment”, he said. For him, keeping a clamp on the prices paid to farmers, “first in line since the very first day of the sanitary crisis”, constitutes a very real risk to the sovereignty of the French food sector. EURACTIV France has more. (Magdalena Pistorius | EURACTIV.fr)
ITALY
In one of his first public speeches, the newly appointed ‘super minister’ for the ecological transition, Roberto Cingolani, declared that the amount of animal protein consumed should be decreased and replaced with plant-based alternatives. He pointed out that animal protein requires six times as much water to produce the same amount of vegetable protein, while intensive livestock production accounts for 20% of global CO2 emissions. “By changing our diet, we will have a co-benefit: improving public health, decreasing water use and producing less CO2,” he concluded. Cingolani’s words triggered harsh criticism from meat producers, who considered his statement an “abnormal overestimation of climate-changing gas emissions from intensive meat production.” Meat producers also highlighted that Italy is among the lowest-ranked European countries for meat consumption. (EURACTIV.com)
ROMANIA
Romanian farmers stand to miss out on the aid they were promised after they suffered from a severe drought last year. While farmers received government aid for their autumn-sown crops, the agriculture minister promised to also help farmers affected by the continuation of drought in the spring. But the aid, estimated at more than 1 billion lei (over €200 million), has been delayed and was not included at all in the 2021 budget. Prime minister Florin Citu denied the need to include additional money in the budget, saying the government already paid 1.1 billion lei for drought-induced damages in 2020. For his part, the agriculture minister Adrian Oros downplayed the situation, saying he will work with farmers’ associations to find other ways to compensate the losses. The minister added the damages paid last year were not included in the budget bill at the time, but that agriculture got more funds at budget revisions and that he counts on a similar development in 2021 as well. (Bogdan Neagu | EURACTIV.ro)
UK
This week saw the launch of the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) report to the UK government on how best to advance the interests of UK farmers, food producers and consumers in future trade agreements in the wake of Brexit. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Minette Batters welcomed the report, saying that it helps to “properly examine, and to try to reconcile, the complexities and tensions inherent in government trade policy – one that seeks both to liberalise trade and to safeguard our high food and farming standards and our valued British farming sector.” (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)
GERMANY On Monday (1 March), Germany’s agriculture minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) presented her ministry’s plans for the CAP, which will give more support to smaller farmers and increase support for organic food. The proposals are set to go into effect in 2023, but they still have to be passed by the German government. “It is clear to everyone that there must be changes: We have jointly decided at the European level to promote smaller farms, young farmers as well as more environmental services,” Klöckner said. The agriculture ministry’s (BMEL) proposal has received mixed reviews. While the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) was generally supportive of eco-schemes and voluntary environmental measures, they warned that the changes to the direct payments “weakens farms and creates additional proof bureaucracies.” Larger farmers’ associations in Eastern Germany are also critical of the new focus on smaller farms, saying it will have negative impacts on the farmers in the region, an area where large has largely been bought up by larger industrial farms in the past three decades since reunification. (Sarah Lawton |EURACTIV.de)
POLAND
Ukrainian authorities intend to incorporate EU animal welfare regulations into their law for each of the areas that the EU recognizes: during animal husbandry, transport and slaughter, reports the Polish National Chamber of poultry and feed producers (KIPDIP). KIPDIP is systematically monitoring Ukraine’s efforts to establish equivalent conditions with EU standards for animal production. There have previously been reports of work on laws bringing Ukrainian production closer to that of the EU, including food safety, veterinary and hygiene standards in the production chain. The new act will apply to all animal species, with additional requirements established for poultry. The new standards refer to the minimum area available for animals, feeding issues, lighting, noise, etc. Representatives of the Ukrainian Ministry commented that the upcoming changes are another step on the road to European integration. (Mateusz Kucharczyk | EURACTIV.pl)
SPAIN
The Spanish agri-food sector increased exports by 2.7% during the COVID crisis in 2020, according to a recent report on trade and the situation of the agri-food and fishing sector. Exports from the agri-food, fishing and forestry sector reached €40,997 million in the period between April and December 2020 (since the beginning of the pandemic) compared to €39,905 million in the same previous period. This increase contrasts with the export data for all sectors of the economy in the same period, which were €192,727 million and -11.8 % in relation to the previous year, according to a statement from the Ministry of agriculture, fisheries and food (MAPA). EURACTIV’s partner EFE Agro reports.
9-11 March – CropLife Europe (formerly known as ECPA) will hold its first 2021 conference on sustainable solutions to protect crops. See here for more details.
10 March – There is an event on ambitions for EU agrifood trade, featuring the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU Agricultural Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, and Maria do Céu Antunes, the Portuguese agriculture minister and chair of AGRI-FISH Council. More details can be found here.
Lord Frost swiped that the EU needs to move away from ‘ill-will’ over Brexit today as the Northern Ireland row rages.
The Cabinet Office minister suggested resentment over the UK’s departure from the bloc was linked to the hard line it is taking over enforcement of the protocol in the province.
The European Commission is preparing to launch legal action after the UK announced it is unilaterally extending a series of ‘grace periods’ designed to ease trade between the mainland and Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods.
Fears have been rising about sectarian tensions with unionists saying the EU is imposing unnecessary checks and demanding the arrangements are abandoned altogether. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said last week that jealously over the UK’s faster vaccine rollout was partly to blame for the stance by Brussels.
Fears have been rising about sectarian tensions with unionists saying the EU is imposing unnecessary checks and demanding the arrangements are abandoned altogether. Pictured, a placard near Larne Port in Northern Ireland last week
Lord Frost swiped that the EU needs to move away from ‘ill-will’ over Brexit today as the Northern Ireland row rages
The EU claims the UK is going back on its treaty obligations. Pictured, EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen, with European Council president Charles Michel in the background
Ministers wrangle with the EU over trade rules
Ministers are to step up the war with the EU Commissioner known as ‘Calamity Kyriakides’ by blocking imports of fashionable mineral waters such as San Pellegrino and Perrier.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has been so infuriated by Brussels’ ban on supplies of shellfish from the UK that he is planning to end Britain’s ‘rollover recognition’ of natural mineral waters from the EU in retaliation.
At the centre of the row is Stella Kyriakides, the EU Commissioner also responsible for the debacle over EU vaccine supplies.
Meanwhile, there are claims that the government is looking to soften plans for checks on other EU food and imports.
Lord Frost is said to be debating whether to bring in ‘lighter touch’ controls from April 1 and relax full customs checks scheduled for July 1.
Insiders claim the move has come amid fears tough inspections could impact UK supermarkets.
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But the EU claims the UK is going back on its treaty obligations.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Lord Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.
‘With Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals,’ he said
‘That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.’
The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.
It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Great Britain.
Meanwhile, the Uk’s chief negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Lord Frost had chosen to ‘poke a stick in the eye’ of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.
Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Lord Frost’s ‘disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn’.
Writing in The Sunday Times, he said: ‘The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.’
DUP leader Arlene Foster has criticised Brussels for taking a ‘very belligerent approach’ to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit, suggesting that it is now clear the bloc does not care about the peace process and was only using it as negotiating leverage.
Mrs Foster also said ‘something had to give’ and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.
Meanwhile, the White House has again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Good Friday Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.
Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng (right) last week linked the increasingly bitter row of the Brexit divorce terms to the contrasting performance on jabs. DUP leader Arlene Foster (left) has branded Brussels ‘belligerent’ and warned its treatment of Northern Ireland is putting peace at risk
The government is looking to soften plans for checks on EU food and imports crossing the border into Britain, reports say.
Lord Frost is said to be debating whether to bring in ‘lighter touch’ controls from April 1 and relax full customs checks scheduled for July 1.
Insiders claim the move has come amid fears tough inspections could damage trade relations with the Bloc that may impact UK supermarkets.
It comes after the Cabinet Office minister called on Brussels to ‘shake off ill will’ towards the UK as arrangements over trade to Northern Ireland prove contentious.
Lord Frost (pictured last month) is said to be debating whether to bring in ‘lighter touch’ controls from April 1 and relax full customs checks scheduled for July 1
A source told the Observer he was told Lord Frost was finalising the details before presenting them before other Cabinet members this week.
The newspaper claimed the plans could allow imports in even if they have clerical errors made by firms on the Continent.
A No 10 source said Lord Frost had ordered ‘a review of the timetable to ensure that we are not imposing unnecessary burdens on business’ but said it was ‘early in the process and no decisions have been made’.
There is said to be growing fear in Whitehall and among business leaders EU exporters are poorly prepared to deal with the post-Brexit rules.
An industry source said: ‘The worry is that if we go ahead with more checks and move to checks on imports, then exporters will not be prepared and on this side we are not ready for that either.
The EU claims the UK is going back on its treaty obligations. Pictured, EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen, with European Council president Charles Michel in the background
‘There is not the infrastructure in place yet or the number of customs officials necessary to carry all this out.’
They added: ‘We have already seen exports badly affected. The next nightmare could be imports.’
Imports from the EU into Britain have been operating as normal, but from April 1 full documentation will be needed on a vast number of products.
These include meat, honey, milk, eggs, plants, plant products and sometimes vet certificates before they can be traded.
From July 1 EU firms selling to the UK have to have full customs forms filled in and items could face close, even physical, checks at the border.
Road Haulage Association Chief Executive Richard Burnett said: ‘We are hearing from government that they are going to take a ”light touch” approach to the next phase, or perhaps even an extension of the grace period.
‘Although this is sensible to continue the uninterrupted flow of food products from the EU into Great Britain, I am concerned that it weakens the government’s negotiating leverage when asking for similar easements from the EU for UK businesses attempting to trade with them.’
Road Haulage Association Chief Executive Richard Burnett said: ‘We are hearing from government that they are going to take a ”light touch” approach to the next phase, or perhaps even an extension of the grace period’
Meanwhile Lord Frost called on Brussels to ‘shake off any remaining ill will’ towards the UK for leaving the bloc.
The European Commission has said it will launch legal action against Whitehall after the UK announced it was extending a series of ‘grace periods’ designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland – which remains in the EU single market for goods – and Britain while permanent arrangements are decided.
Lord Frost said on Wednesday London’s move should allow time for constructive discussions with counterparts in Brussels.
But the intervention provoked a furious response in Brussels, with the EU accusing the UK of going back on its treaty obligations in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.
He said: ‘With Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals.
‘That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.’
The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.
It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Britain.
The chief British negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Lord Frost had chosen to ‘poke a stick in the eye’ of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.
Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Lord Frost’s ‘disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn’.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng (right) last week linked the increasingly bitter row of the Brexit divorce terms to the contrasting performance on jabs. DUP leader Arlene Foster (left) has branded Brussels ‘belligerent’ and warned its treatment of Northern Ireland is putting peace at risk
Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: ‘The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.’
DUP leader Arlene Foster, meanwhile, has criticised Brussels for taking a ‘very belligerent approach’ to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit.
Mrs Foster also said ‘something had to give’ and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.
The White House again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Good Friday Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.
Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.
The European Union and United States have agreed to suspend all tariffs related to the Airbus-Boeing dispute for an initial period of four months, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday.
In a statement following a phone call with US President Joe Biden, von der Leyen said both sides were committed to solving the dispute, dpa reported.
“As a symbol of this fresh start, President Biden and I agreed to suspend all our tariffs imposed in the context of the Airbus-Boeing disputes, both on aircraft and non-aircraft products, for an initial period of four months,” she said.
The commission’s announcement is the latest move in a dispute between Brussels and Washington that dates back to the early 2000s. They accuse each other of unfair state support for the world’s two largest aircraft companies, the European Airbus consortium and its US rival Boeing.
The two sides have imposed tariffs on aviation and non-aviation goods worth billions of dollars.
“This is excellent news for businesses and industries on both sides of the Atlantic, and a very positive signal for our economic cooperation in the years to come,” von der Leyen said.
The US imposed tariffs on certain EU products following a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Declaring European subsidies for Airbus illegal, the trade body had permitted the US to raise tariffs on products worth 7.5 billion dollars.
Just in November, the European Commission imposed additional tit-for-tat tariffs on US products worth some 4 billion dollars (3.36 billion euros) following another ruling by the WTO.
The tariffs will be scrapped on both sides for a four-month period, as soon as internal procedures on both sides are completed.
The move marks an improvement in transatlantic relations that were strained under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who accused EU countries of harming US interests.
European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, who holds the trade portfolio, welcomed the announcement as a “major breakthrough.”
In a similar vein, Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, said the suspension of tariffs was “excellent news” for the French economy and its winegrowers.
Certain non-sparkling wine from France and Germany had been among the products hit by US tariffs.
Earlier this week, the US announced that it would temporarily lift punitive tariffs on British exports, such as Scotch whisky and Stilton cheese.
The UK government’s chief Brexit negotiator David Frost has called on Brussels to “shake off any remaining ill will” towards the UK for leaving the bloc.
The European Commission has said it will launch legal action against the UK after it announced it was extending a series of “grace periods” designed to ease trade between Northern Ireland and Britain while permanent arrangements are decided.
UK cabinet office minister David Frost said on Wednesday that London’s move should allow time for constructive discussions with counterparts in Brussels.
I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving
But the intervention provoked a furious response in Brussels, with the EU accusing the UK of going back on its treaty obligations in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement intended to ensure there is no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
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Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Frost said the move was lawful and designed to protect the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.
“With Boris Johnson as prime minister, our agenda is one of an outward-looking country, confident we can work with others towards common goals,” he said
“That is our hope for our ties with our European friends and allies too. I hope they will shake off any remaining ill will towards us for leaving, and instead build a friendly relationship, between sovereign equals.”
‘Poke a stick in the eye’
The Northern Ireland protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement was designed by the EU and UK to avoid a hardening of the border on the island of Ireland.
It means keeping Northern Ireland aligned to various EU rules, requiring checks on goods arriving into the region from Britain.
Meanwhile, the chief British negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 said Mr Frost had chosen to “poke a stick in the eye” of the bloc by taking unilateral action on the grace periods.
Jonathan Powell, who was also Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said the move was a reprise of Mr Frost’s “disastrous tactical manoeuvre during the negotiations last year of breaking international law by unilaterally abrogating the protocol in the Internal Market Bill, which later had to be humiliatingly withdrawn”.
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Arlene Foster says the EU has taken a ‘very belligerent approach’ to the problems associated with the protocol post-Brexit (Liam McBurney/PA)
Writing in The Sunday Times, Mr Powell said: “The only safe option is to find a way to make the protocol work better, which means trying to rebuild trust with the Irish and with the commission rather than attacking them.”
DUP leader Arlene Foster, meanwhile, has criticised Brussels for taking a “very belligerent approach” to the difficulties caused by the protocol post-Brexit.
Mrs Foster also said “something had to give” and the UK had to take action and extend a grace period.
Meanwhile, the White House has again stressed the support of new US President Joe Biden for the Belfast Agreement, which the protocol is intended to protect.
Prior to last year’s election, Mr Biden – who is famously proud of his Irish roots – warned the agreement must not become a casualty of Brexit.
The UK government is considering easing post-Brexit border checks on food and other imports from the EU amid concerns that they may damage trade and result in serious shortages in British supermarkets, The Observer reports.
The newspaper has quoted unnamed government sources as saying that Brexit Minister David Frost may allow “lighter touch” controls on EU imports as of 1 April.
He is also reportedly mulling scaling down plans for full customs checks, including physical inspections, set to come into force on 1 July.
According to one of the sources, Frost is calling for “a review of the timetable to ensure that we are not imposing unnecessary burdens on business” although it was “early in the process and no decisions have been made”.
Another insider expressed alarm that if the government goes ahead with more checks on imports, exporters will be unprepared “and on this side we are not ready for that either”.
“We have already seen exports badly affected. The next nightmare could be imports”, the source warned.
The remarks came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak told The Observer that the Cabinet tried to address the issue, adding, “the systems and IT are all on track but we are keeping everything under review to make sure it is all as smooth as possible”.
FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak holds the budget box outside his office in Downing Street in London
He spoke after a survey conducted by the UK’s Food and Drink Federation last week revealed a 45% drop in the country’s exports since 1 January.
Economists, however, say that it remains unclear whether the decline in UK-EU trade is the result of the post-Brexit deal or fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have a hard time deciding what is the impact of Brexit and what is simply down to the impact of coronavirus. […] There were so many stories about companies that had trouble exporting or importing after Brexit and a lot of hauliers were reluctant to deal with the customs issues, so there must have been an impact”, Gilles Moec, chief economist with the French insurer Axa, was cited by the Financial Times as saying.
In late December, London and Brussels finally concluded a trade and cooperation agreement that specifically stipulates zero tariffs on the movement of goods between British and European markets.
Since the deal came into force on 1 January, there have been reports about EU-UK trade being disrupted by “higher shipping costs, transportation delays, health certificate requirements, and more complex customs requirements at the border”.
Women are extremely under-represented in science, but a UN research centre in The Netherlands is trying to address the gender imbalance, by raising awareness of the leading role that women researchers play in tackling global problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to representatives of Iraq’s different religious groups in Ur, Pope Francis called for unity among faiths.
Christians and other religious minorities were subjected to brutal persecution during the country’s occupation by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017.
Hours earlier in Najaf, Francis met Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a visit that was a powerful signal for coexistence in a country torn by violence. Ur is seen as the birthplace of Abraham, the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Ministers are to step up the war with the EU Commissioner known as ‘Calamity Kyriakides’ by blocking imports of fashionable mineral waters such as San Pellegrino and Perrier.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has been so infuriated by Brussels’ ban on supplies of shellfish from the UK that he is planning to end Britain’s ‘rollover recognition’ of natural mineral waters from the EU in retaliation.
At the centre of the row is Stella Kyriakides, the EU Commissioner also responsible for the debacle over EU vaccine supplies.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has been so infuriated by Brussels’ ban on supplies of shellfish from the UK that he is planning to end Britain’s ‘rollover recognition’ of natural mineral waters from the EU in retaliation.
It is one of a number of post-Brexit trading problems, including the severe disruption to supplies of plants such as snowdrops from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland – Brussels claims that sending plants with earth attached to the roots risks ‘biocontamination’.
Downing Street was left furious last month when the EU suddenly announced a ban on the export of live mussels, oysters, clams and cockles in what is being viewed as an act of ‘petty revenge’ for Brexit.
The European Commission said that it would not accept crustaceans fished from Britain’s so-called ‘Class B’ waters, which account for the vast majority of the produce, on the grounds of ‘purity’ – despite correspondence between Whitehall that appears to show Brussels had assured the UK that the exports would be allowed if accompanied by the right health certificate.
Now Ministers say they are looking again at enforcing British regulations on the contents of bottled water. Currently the Government observes the rollover recognition, but if No 10 decides to end it then the producers would have to apply for the right to continue to sell them on the UK market.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has been so infuriated by Brussels’ ban on supplies of shellfish from the UK that he is planning to end Britain’s ‘rollover recognition’ of natural mineral waters from the EU in retaliation
Brands such as the Italian San Pellegrino and Perrier and Evian from France are hugely popular in the UK. Under the Bottled Waters Regulations of 2007, waters sold in the UK should comply with maximum limits on a total of 15 different constituents
‘Calamity Kyriakides’, as she is known in Whitehall, has refused demands from Mr Eustice to meet to resolve the dispute over shellfish.
It is one of a number of post-Brexit trading problems, including the severe disruption to supplies of plants such as snowdrops from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland – Brussels claims that sending plants with earth attached to the roots risks ‘biocontamination’.
And Calamity Kyriakides is in the thick of it once again…
Stella ‘Calamity’ Kyriakides has only held her position as European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety since 2019, but during that time she has managed to play central roles in the EU’s vaccine procurement crisis and the diplomatic debacle over post-Brexit imports of UK shellfish.
The Greek Cypriot studied psychology at the universities of Reading and Manchester before rising through the ranks of the Cypriot healthcare system.
After a stint in the country’s parochial island politics, the 64-year-old became its European Commissioner two years ago. Last March, as the pandemic was starting to exert its grip, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appointed her to serve on a special task force to co-ordinate the EU’s Covid response.
But by July 20, when the UK’s vaccine tsar Kate Bingham announced Britain had secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer jab, Ms Kyriakides was still four months away from placing the EU’s order.
Following criticism from the Germans, she rejected the logic of ‘first come, first served’ by arguing ‘that may work at the neighbourhood butcher’s but not in contracts’.
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Downing Street was left furious last month when the EU suddenly announced a ban on the export of live mussels, oysters, clams and cockles in what is being viewed as an act of ‘petty revenge’ for Brexit.
The European Commission said that it would not accept crustaceans fished from Britain’s so-called ‘Class B’ waters, which account for the vast majority of the produce, on the grounds of ‘purity’ – despite correspondence between Whitehall that appears to show Brussels had assured the UK that the exports would be allowed if accompanied by the right health certificate.
Now Ministers say they are looking again at enforcing British regulations on the contents of bottled water. Currently the Government observes the rollover recognition, but if No 10 decides to end it then the producers would have to apply for the right to continue to sell them on the UK market.
Brands such as the Italian San Pellegrino and Perrier and Evian from France are hugely popular in the UK. Under the Bottled Waters Regulations of 2007, waters sold in the UK should comply with maximum limits on a total of 15 different constituents.
One source said: ‘We have until now turned a blind eye to the compliance of these waters as a quid pro quo.’
The ban on plants or vegetables potted in British soil or with traces of soil under the terms of the Brexit Protocol on Northern Ireland has caused problems for garden centres in the province.
On Friday, the Government moved to unilaterally ease the restriction by temporarily lifting the ban.
Last month, a Government Minister told The Mail on Sunday that the rows were due to Brussels ‘trying to punish us for daring to become a nation state.’
Mr Eustice said: ‘We put in place temporary arrangements and easements to assist EU exporters of mineral waters… but have always reserved our position on how to approach these issues in future’.
