The move comes as part of a Europe-wide public information campaign launched by the U.K.'s embassies across the EU, and will cover need-to-know actions U.K. citizens resident in Estonia are required to take to maintain their full rights and access to services, including on Estonian residency, healthcare, drivers' licenses and ID cards.

Britain's ambassador to Estonia Theresa Bubbear said: "Protecting the rights of U.K. nationals is an absolute priority for us. This is why we have been providing advice and reassurance to U.K. nationals, to make sure they have all the information they need and certainty about their rights."

"Brits in Estonia should visit our 'Living in Guides', where they can find out about the steps they will need to take and get important information about residency, healthcare, passports and drivers' licenses in Estonia."

The U.K. Foreign Office's "Living In Guide" for Estonia is here.

The embassy says it will also step up its activities in the coming weeks, with more information to be provided on its Facebook page here.

Outreach to over a million Brits Europe-wide

The Foreign Office says its campaign targets more than one million U.K. nationals resident across Europe, with support and advice on steps to protect their rights after the transition period ends on December 31 2020, using social media and other channels, and offering assistance on residency or registration applications via a 3-million (3.3 million) support fund.

The campaign builds on initiatives the embassy in Tallinn has already held over the past couple of years, including "town hall" meetings and Q&A sessions with the ambassador, consular and foreign office officials, and personnel from relevant government ministries in Estonia.

The embassy reminds U.K. nationals that the onus is on them to secure their residency and other rights in Estonia or other EU member states, and ambassadors from across Europ have recorded a video address highlighting just that, here.

British Ambassadors from across Europe have recorded a video encouraging U.K. nationals to take action which can be found on the British Embassy in Tallinn's Facebook page.

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Continued here:

Embassy launches info drive for UK nationals in Estonia ahead of Brexit - ERR News

Government sources said last month that the EU's approach to trade talks has resulted in "paralysis". Brexit negotiations have stalled in recent months over two key issues fisheries and regulatory alignment. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to fulfil a Leave campaign promise that the UK will take back control of its waters post-Brexit. Previously, EU vessels had free access to British fishing grounds, leaving many fishermen in the UK aggrieved.

However, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has warned Mr Johnson he cannot secure access to European markets without allowing EU vessels into UK waters.

The UK is also looking to avoid EU regulations giving the country more freedom to set its own laws on trading standards.

But even before the British public voted to leave the EU German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the UK wouldn't get what it wants from Brexit.

The German Chancellor said her country "works well" with the UK in Europe, and warned that the UK's influence would be diminished if it quit the bloc.

She said Britain staying in the EU would be "for the benefit of all of us".

She warned voters in the UK that countries outside the Brussels club "never really get a good result in negotiations" - a proclamation that echoed Barack Obama's claims Britain would be "back of the queue" for a trade deal.

Mrs Merkel said: "Obviously, it is up to the citizens of the UK themselves how they wish to vote on the upcoming referendum. I've said repeatedly before that I personally would hope and wish for the UK to stay part and parcel of the EU.

"We work well together with the UK particularly when we talk about new rules for the EU.

READ MORE:EU outrage: UK's rage at Jean-Claude Junckers 'backroom deals'

"We have to develop those together with the UK and whenever we negotiate that, you can much better have an influence on the debate when you sit at the bargaining table and you can give input to those negotiations and the result will then invariably be better rather than being outside of the room.

"It would not only be in our interest but it could also be in the interest of Britain when it can bring its whole political weight to the negotiating table as part and parcel of the EU."

Boris Johnson said at the time that "Project Fear" had "hit the panic button".

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And Labour MP Kate Hoey, who campaigned to leave, said the German leader would be "well-advised to stay out of what is a very, very important vote for British democracy".

She blasted: "It is in Germany's interests for the UK to stay in. That doesn't mean that it is in the UK's interests.

"I really don't think that Angela Merkel telling the British people how they should vote in a democratic referendum in three weeks' time will affect anyone's vote.

"We can do extremely well outside the European Union - we don't need to be in the single market, other countries trade with the European Union and are not in the single market. We are the fifth-largest economy, we can look outwards."

See the original post:

Brexit chaos: How Angela Merkel warned UK 'will never get what it wants' from leaving EU - Express

Households and businesses may not have the capacity to withstand a second economic shock as a result of a hard Brexit at the end of the year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has been warned, as the Government intensifies its planning for the UKs departure from the EU.

Given the economic damage already wrought by Covid-19, Mr Coveney has been warned that Ireland is facing into Brexit from a fundamentally different economic starting point than for a no-deal Brexit in 2019.

In official briefing documents given to the Minister as he resumed office following the formation of Government, officials also told him that protecting the 85 billion trade link with Britain will be vital to our overall economic recovery and that Ireland needs to build a new relationship with the UK and with British cabinet ministers.

Officials warned that the capacity of households and businesses to manage a second economic shock will be more limited in light of the pandemic.

The Government is also hoping that a landing zone for major outstanding issues in Brexit talks can be found in September or October but, at present, the gap between the UK and the European Union remains wide.

All Government departments are intensifying Brexit contingency plans and a new Brexit Omnibus Bill will be brought to the Oireachtas after the summer recess.

The gap between the EU and UK positions remains wide, including on key issues such as the level playing field, fisheries, police and judicial co-operation and governance.

For progress to be achieved, it will be necessary for the UK position to move considerably in the direction of what they had agreed to under the political declaration.

The political declaration sets out the parameters for an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership. However, in negotiations, the UK has adopted a significantly less ambitious approach, the briefing says.

The October European Council and discussions held in advance will be crucial in identifying the landing zone for a possible agreement and on implementation of the protocol.

Officials have said that despite the continuing uncertainty on the future relationship between the UK and EU, the Irish Government should now work to develop a new relationship with the UK.

Driving a renewal of the relationship is a priority task, given its importance in terms of our joint stewardship of the Good Friday Agreement, our people-to-people relations, and the Ireland-Great Britain economic and trading relationship worth 85 billion per annum, the protection of which will be vital to our overall economic recovery.

It says, as part of that, identifying how best to build relationships across the new British cabinet and wider political system will be important.

In terms of immediate contacts, there has been good East-West communication on Covid responses, which could usefully continue.

Engagement to protect Irish interests will also continue to be necessary, as the final picture of the UKs future relationship with the EU emerges.

Officials have recommended the establishment of a new consulate in the north of England.

In terms of Irelands relationship with the US, officials said that developing our bilateral relationship with the US will take place against the backdrop of difficult policy issues relating to immigration, trade and transatlantic relations. It said EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan was committed to progressing an EU-US trade deal and Ireland is well placed to play a role in this.

The Minister was also asked to focus on close engagement with the Trump and Biden election campaigns in the lead-up to the November US presidential election.

On the relationship between Ireland and Canada, Mr Coveney was told that ramping up the relationship with Canada will be a key component of our economic response to the disruption caused by the pandemic.

See the article here:

Second shock of Brexit may be too much for Ireland to cope with, Coveney told - The Irish Times

The coincidence of the hit to the economy from Covid-19 and the risk of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union trading regime at the end of year without a deal are, correctly, concerning the Government. Briefing papers drawn up for Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney warn of the difficulty of households and businesses absorbing a second shock, in the midst of the ongoing economic impact from Covid-19. It is a threat, in particular, for rural Ireland.

It is hard to believe that, in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, we might still be facing a kind of hard Brexit at the end of the year. The UK has already left the EU, of course, but is in a one-year transition period when it remains in the EU trading bloc and many associated agreements continue in place. This all ends on December 31st and the UK decided not to extend the transition period.

Even if there is a deal, there will be disruption for Irish companies trading with the UK, involving new bureaucracy and, initially, quite probably delays and some uncertainty.

For Northern Ireland, a special regime outlined in a protocol agreement has to bed in and there is, as yet, a lack of detail as to how this will operate in practice.

If there is no new trade deal between the UK and EU, the damage to the Republics trade with Britain would be worse and the Northern Ireland protocol will be more difficult to implement.

A lot of work went into planning for a hard Brexit last year, so some preparation has been done. The problem is that since then the economy has been faced a massive economic shock, depleting the resources and leeway in the finances of businesses and some households. As the civil service briefing warned, Ireland is now facing into Brexit from a fundamentally different economic starting point than for a no-deal Brexit in 2019.

While the officials are correct that protecting the 85 billion trade link with the UK is important to our economic future, short-term damage would inevitably worsen in the event of no trading deal being reached.

In particular, the imposition of tariffs on trade, particularly on food products, threaten a big hit to Irish food exporters and higher prices in the shops here. Beef exports, and thus cattle farmers, are particularly exposed.

The Covid-19 crisis is impacting heavily on parts of rural Ireland which, unlike the main cities, do not have many other big employers to soften the blow from losses in tourism and hospitality. Another sector vital to rural Ireland agriculture and food faces the biggest threat from Brexit. We can only hope that, even if late in the day, some kind of Brexit trade deal is agreed which, as the briefing to the Minister concludes, will require movement on both sides, but more particularly from the UK.

See the original post:

The Irish Times view on Brexit: the risks have not gone away - The Irish Times

The UK left the EU at the end of January this year after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resounding victory in the 2019 general election. As the country was preparing for a new chapter, Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told German press that the UK will be back. He made the claim just weeks before the UK finally left, signalling that some Remainers hadn't given up the fight. He said in January: Everything is possible. And in politics you should never say never anyway.

Unfortunately, re-entry into the EU is not an issue in the short term.

You just have to take note of the current facts in British politics.

But once the difficult decisions that Brexit brings are on the agenda, the debate will change.

That could eventually lead to full membership again.

Mr Johnson's victory in the 2019 election made Brexit a formality and this led Mr Bradshaw to criticise his former party leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

He blamed Mr Corbyn not just for the election drubbing, but also Brexit.

Mr Bradshaw continued: He is not only responsible for the crashing defeat of the Labour Party in December.

It is also due to Jeremy Corbyn that the 2016 EU referendum was lost.

In the middle of the referendum campaign, he took two weeks off on vacation.

At the time, he was not fully committed to remaining in the EU.

READ MORE:How EU was warned 'you will live to regret appointing Juncker'

Figures in the Labour Party aren't the only people who think the UK could rejoin the EU one day, as prominent leaders in Brussels have made similar predictions.

Former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker laid out how he believed the UK could reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU.

He made the provocative claim in 2017 as the UK prepared for withdrawal talks, a year after the country opted to leave the EU. Mr Juncker told reporters that he regretted Britains decision to leave but held out hope that it would return in the future.

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He said: I dont like Brexit. I would like to be in the same boat as the British. The day will come when the British re-enter the boat. I hope.

A senior aide later said the option of Britain returning to the EU will always be open and outlined various ways in which it could happen.

They added: There are different ways you can join. You can be a full member, you can be a partner, you can be related to us in the customs union, or through a trade agreement.

Originally posted here:

'Brexit can be reversed!' Whinging Labour MP's claim UK will rejoin EU laid bare - Daily Express

Brexit planning for your trade mark portfolio needs to be back on the agenda particularly after the delays caused by coronavirus to get the most cost-benefit out of the current regime, before the end of the transitional period.

This was the message delivered by Womble Bond Dickinson's James Love and Rose Smalley (both Leeds, UK) who, along with WBD colleague Nicholas Hawkins (Baltimore, US), and Scott Schwartz, General Counsel at Dansko, presented at the Association of Corporate Counsel 12th Annual In-house Counsel Conference, which took place virtually on 28 and 29 July 2020.

The topic of their presentation was "Brexit and Beyond: Trademark Protection Strategies in an Uncertain Global Marketplace", and the session included a series of audience polls concerning various issues rights-holders will face for IP protection coming out of Brexit.

It was revealed that 82% of respondents knew that changes were coming to trade mark protection as a result of Brexit, but that they had not put into place any plans to deal with these changes.

Rose noted that these results did not seem all that surprising; in the years since the referendum result, many updates have circulated about the potential impact of Brexit on IP protection but, in recent months (and for good reason) Brexit has taken a back-seat whilst the world grapples with cCoronavirus. Further, James noted that there has been little urgency in putting those plans in place at least not until the recent emphasis by the United Kingdom (UK) government that it does not intend to seek another extension for the trade agreement negotiations.

Attendees surveyed identified a potential loss of rights in the UK as their primary concern arising from Brexit.

James reiterated that, whether or not a trade agreement with the European Union (EU) could be achieved, the UK would unilaterally provide for continued protection in the UK of local rights previously protected under an EU trade mark. This will be done by granting automatically and free of charge a new comparable UK trade mark right after the end of the transitional period. This new right will ensure that rights-holders are given continuing protection in the UK, whilst their EU trade mark registration continues to protect their mark in the remaining 27 member states. James explained the new UK right will inherit the filing (or priority/seniority) date from the EU registration, but will be a wholly independent right, capable of being licensed or assigned separately from the EU trade mark.

Another issue high on the agenda was 'squatters', i.e. third parties who might seek to register a mark in the UK before the EU rights-holder has the opportunity.

As well as receiving a new comparable UK trade mark right in respect of each EU trade mark registration, James noted that applicants for EU trade mark rights (i.e. where the right has not achieved registration by the end of the transitional period) will have a nine-month priority period to file in the UK. This gives legitimate right-holders a longer period than usual (priority claims are normally six months), to prevent squatters from registering conflicting rights in the UK, but does come at the additional cost of applying for a separate UK trade mark.

Rose added that it would be sensible to keep a close eye on how EU trade mark applications are progressing particularly given the delays and backlog that have been caused at the EU Intellectual Property Office (IPO) by closure of its headquarters due to the impact of COVID-19. It is obviously preferable to obtain your EU trade mark registration before the end of the transitional period, in order to avoid the additional UK trade mark filing fees and obtain your comparable UK right for 'free' but this window of opportunity is due to close shortly, given the normal timescales for registration at the EU IPO.

The vast majority of respondents suggested that the UK should adopt international exhaustion after the end of the transitional period, allowing goods to be imported into the UK without restriction.

James noted that the issue of exhaustion is very much still on the negotiating table. The only agreed point is that rights which are exhausted as at the end of the transitional period i.e. rights protecting goods already in circulation in the European Economic Area (EEA) as at that date will remain exhausted. However, this leaves open the issue of exhaustion of rights protecting goods that enter into circulation either in the UK, or the remaining 27 EU Member States after the end of the transitional period.

Rose noted that a model of international exhaustion under which right-holders would be required to justify why genuine goods placed on a market elsewhere (by it or with its consent) should not be permitted to be imported into the UK is generally perceived to be more consumer-friendly, by increasing competition (amongst the right-holders and lawful importers), thereby driving prices down. This would be a significant departure from the regional exhaustion (i.e. free movement of goods legitimately placed on the market in the EEA only) which the EU (including UK) currently operates, but would be in line with the UK's wish to strike out as an open and global trading nation, particularly given pressures from other potential trading partners (such as the US).

Overall, attendees were not in agreement over whether Brexit presented opportunities for the UK, and/or the US, but it was noted that remaining uncertainties are likely a significant reason for the differences in opinion. The overriding message was to "keep calm and carry on" and to start implementing plans now for trade mark protection in the EU and UK.

Go here to see the original:

Brexit and beyond: trade mark protection strategies in an uncertain global marketplace - Lexology

The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) since before Northern Irelands powersharing administration collapsed is taking place on Friday.

Taoiseach Michel Martin and members of his cabinet will meet the Norths First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill and their colleagues for talks on Covid-19 and Brexit at Dublin Castle.

It allows the new Government and the restored Northern Ireland Executive to converse formally for the first time and exchange views on issues of mutual interest and concern.

This is the first plenary session since November 2016 of a body set up under the Belfast Agreement to deepen co-operation across the island.

The Taoiseach said: I will also take the opportunity to emphasise the Governments full support for preserving and strengthening North-South co-operation and the Governments commitment to ensuring that the New Decade, New Approach Agreement is implemented in full.

The Government is focused on working with the Executive through the North South Ministerial Council to deliver projects that benefit people across the island, including greater connectivity between North and South; investing in the North West region and in border communities and supporting reconciliation as an integral part of the peace process.

Ms Foster is expected to share a platform with the Deputy First Minister in a post-meeting press conference for the first time since a row soured relations between the pair.

Ms ONeills attendance at a veteran republican Bobby Storeys funeral in west Belfast, despite restrictions on numbers due to coronavirus regulations, angered unionists.

Police are investigating possible breaches of social distancing rules by mourners as the cortege was brought through west Belfast.

Ms ONeill has stood by her decision to go to the service but did say sorry to families bereaved during lockdown for any hurt caused by scenes of hundreds of people lining the route. - PA

Read the original:

North-South body meets in Dublin to discuss coronavirus and Brexit - The Irish Times

PUBLISHED: 12:15 29 July 2020 | UPDATED: 12:15 29 July 2020

France's European affairs minister Clement Beaune. Photograph: European Commission.

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A French minister has echoed Theresa May in warning that no deal is better than a bad deal for protecting European interests.

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The countrys European affairs minister Clement Beaune said it will continue to take a tough line on Brexit talks, saying that the EU would not accept a deal at any price.

The new minister has been described as Emmanuel Macrons Brexit whisperer, with reports suggesting the French president is keen to use Britains departure an opportunity to make Europe stronger.

Beaune said that he believed a prospect of a deal with the UK is still possible, and said that a deal was the best outcome, but he warned they would take a tough stance on issues such as the fisheries - which remains a sticking point for a deal.

We will not accept a deal at any price, he told France Inter radio.

Better no deal at all than a bad deal, he added.

Beaune, however, accepted that a no-deal situation would not be good for the EU, but that the interests of the union and his own country was important.

Lets not kid ourselves, if there is no deal, it will be a difficult issue, Well have to organise a response for sectors like fisheries. Support our fishermen financially. Were not there yet.

He added representatives of the EU would not be intimidated by the game that British negotiators were playing.

During Theresa Mays tenure as leader she regularly warned the EU that a no deal situation is better than a bad deal.

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

Excerpt from:

French minister echoes Theresa May over Brexit with 'no deal better than a bad deal' warning - The New European

Chinas ambassador has warned that the UK will need to forge closer links with the country after Brexit as he attempted to persuade the Government to take a less aggressive approach on issues such as Hong Kong, Huawei and Xinjiang.

Liu Xiaoming said on Thursday there would be consequences for recent British actions, confirming that China is planning to block Hong Kong residents from travelling using their British National (Overseas) passports. It comes as multiple democracy activists have been banned from standing in the territorys election under new national security legislation.

He told a press conference: China respects UK sovereignty and has never interfered in UKs internal affairs. It is important that the UK does the same.

When Brexit is completed and Covid-19 is over, there will be unlimited prospects for UK-China co-operation in areas of trade, financial services, science and technology, education and healthcare. It is hard to imagine a global Britain that bypasses or excludes China. Decoupling from China means decoupling from opportunities, decoupling from growth and decoupling from the future.

Mr Liu claimed that the UKs decision to offer residency to 2.9m Hongkongers and scrap its extradition treaty with the territory seriously disrupted the security and prosperity of Hong Kong.

Asked if he was threatening Britain, the ambassador replied: We made no threats, we threatened nobody, we just let you know the consequences If you treat China as a hostile country, you will pay the price. He directly criticised Conservative MPs who have pushed for tougher action against China, saying they cling to the Cold War mentality.

He also confirmed that in retaliation for the British decision to allow holders of BNO passports to settle in the UK from next year, Chinas government may stop recognising the documents as a valid travel pass. Mr Liu said: We have to take our measures not to recognise the BNO passport as a valid travel document.

The press conference concluded with a series of propaganda videos designed to refute findings by Western governments that China has been herding Uighur Muslims from Xinjiang province into prison camps for re-education. The clips showed alleged terror attacks by Uighurs, followed by upbeat footage supposedly depicting Xinjiang residents who have found new jobs after spending time in the camps.

Asked whether China would allow independent inspectors to visit the camps, which are believed to be used for forced labour, Mr Liu said that any investigation would violate Chinas sovereignty.

More:

China's ambassador accuses UK of ruining post-Brexit relations with tough stance on Hong Kong - iNews

With the launch of the UK governments information campaign urging businesses to prepare for the Brexit transition next year, significant changes and opportunities can be expected.

One key issue in a post-Brexit world, will be the risks of border crossing delays between the United Kingdom and the EU. Businesses, according to Tom Holland, Territory Sales Manager, UK and Ireland at Sigfox, need to act now to prepare and to strengthen supply chain visibility.

On 1 January 2021, the UK will have a new relationship with the EU and with the clock running down, the most likely outcome is that the UK will not enter into a new free trade arrangement with the EU.

The UK is already behind in its preparations and this is where greater visibility of the supply chain is a must to ensure a smoother transition, explains Holland.

Critics of the UK government suggest that it has been showing wilful ignorance and is ill-prepared to operate a functioning customs border.

We didnt have enough time to put in place the infrastructure, people, and systems we needed before COVID-19 [and] we certainly dont now, said one.

So new trade barriers are likely and for businesses this will present a number of new challenges.

Those barriers could take many forms, such as divergence of regulations, introduction of tariffs, or goods quotas. What is clear is that with the introduction of new trade barriers, the risk of delays in moving goods across the border in either direction increases significantly, says Holland.

The impact of border crossing delays will vary from industry to industry. Industries that utilise just-in-time manufacturing processes, and industries that trade in perishable goods such as food and medicine, are likely to feel the effects of border crossing delays more than most.

The options available to businesses will depend on the type of cross-border trade, according to Holland. How can they prepare for those delays? Invest in new facilities to stockpile? Plan alternative supply routes if primary routes become congested? Identify possible local supply

alternatives? Renegotiate contracts to make special provisions for border delays? Build contingencies into to the supply chain?

What cuts through all of those options is a need for greater visibility and greater access to data. To mitigate border crossing delays, businesses need real time visibility of those delays to inform their contingency plans.

Lack of end-to-end visibility of the supply chain is not just a Brexit issue though; it is arguably the greatest challenge facing enterprise supply chains in 2020, says Holland. We need to move to an efficient and optimised, data-driven approach, when it comes to trade.

Can the IoT help?

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the unique ability to capture vast amounts of extremely valuable data, helping businesses better understand the behaviour of people, environments and assets to give a real-time holistic view of the entire supply network says Holland.

By implementing connected devices across the supply chain, businesses could gain a vast array of data that not only can give them real-time data on border crossing delays and the impact to the supply chain, but could fulfil regulatory requirements, and offer granular insights into the efficiency and real time operation of their networks.

The possibilities with regards to the data that IoT can extract are vast; businesses can gain additional data and insight of routes travelled, warehouse delays, monitoring of goods in transit, and even the ability to expedite customs requirements by verifying the provenance and authenticity of goods, or by confirming that a container hasnt been opened or modified from the time it was packed.

According to Holland, customers are already reaping the benefits of the IoT and the connectivity provided by platforms like Sigfox.

For example, real-time alerts about delays and transport conditions has enabled Michelin to reduce transit stock by 10%, increase Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) by 40% and reduce Out of Stock (OOS) situations due to exceptional circumstances by a quarter.

We are seeing increasing interest across geographical locations, including the UK, via our secure sensor network operator, WND UK. We are also seeing an upsurge of demand across Europe, especially among those nations trading with the UK.

This tide of innovation is beginning to deliver measurable results, suggests Holland.

Deutsche Post DHL Group has outfitted about 250,000 DHL roll cages with Sigfox smart trackers giving it powerful levels of visibility of the essential and valuable roll cages which are used to transport large volumes of parcels.

The IoT is gradually beginning to transform and digitise the global supply chain, providing companies with unprecedented visibility into their own operations.

The accelerating pace of change, and the uncertainty and potential disruption to cross border supply chains that Brexit may bring, means that businesses will increasingly need to be on-board, and up-to-speed in order to maintain competitive advantage, says Holland.

Just a few years ago, full supply chain visibility was just a pipedream now it is a rapidly approaching business fact.

Originally posted here:

Managing the supply chain post-Brexit - New Electronics

Boris Johnson has been accused of opening the barn door to legal challenges against Scottish food standards after Brexit by ruling out an independent process to resolve trade disputes.

The SNP has warned Scottish government policy could be over-riden after UK Ministers confirmed any Brexit trade disputes over returning EU powers will have to be fought out in the courts.

Johnsons government ramped up tensions with the SNP administration in Edinburgh by confirming there will be no arbitration body to resolve disputes in the UK internal market which is due to replace EU Single Market rules in December.

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Johnsons government is driving legislation for the internal market though the Commons this September in a rush with just one month of consultation after the Scottish government walked away from a previous set of talks.

So far Tory Ministers have refused to issue details despite calls from devolved governments and opposition MPs for a disputes panel to resolve disagreements as powers return from the EU.

But Business Minister Martin Callanan told the House of Lords on Wednesday: I hope there wont be any disputes, but if there were they would be legal disputes and the correct forum for resolving legal disputes is through the court system.

We have no intention of setting up an alternative dispute resolution procedure when we have one of the best and most efficient court systems in the world to resolve disputes.

Earlier this month Business Secretary Alok Sharma was asked four times to commit to such an arbitration panel when he introduced proposals for a UK internal market in the Common.

But Sharma dodged the questions, telling MPs his proposals would see a power surge for the devolved governments.

But Nicola Sturgeons has called the plans a power grab and Mike Russell, the Scottish Brexit Secretary, previously signalled the Scottish Government would not co-operate with internal market rules, setting the stage for a massive legal fight.

Kirsten Oswald MP, the SNPs Westminster Deputy leader, said: The confirmation through the unelected House of Lords that the UK government has no intention of meaningfully engaging with the devolved governments for an agreed dispute resolution system, is yet another sign of the Tories total disregard for the devolved nations.

The Tory government has opened the door for companies with deep pockets to challenge Holyrood legislation if we try to maintain higher standards than Westminster post-Brexit putting at risk our key industries with the threat of the imposition of lower standard goods and produce.

Far from strengthening the devolved nations, the UK governments Internal Market plans will enable the decisions of the Scottish Government to be overridden over devolved areas such as food and agriculture in Scotland.

See the original post:

Scottish trade disputes after Brexit will have to be settled in the courts says Tory Minister - Daily Record

A Minister for Food Security is urgently needed to deal with the threat posed by COVID-19, Brexit and climate change, according to a cross-party group of MPs.

Millions of people have struggled to access food as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of food bank users doubling during lockdown.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee warns that food insecurity is "likely to get worse before it gets better" because of risks including a second wave of coronavirus cases, as well as potential disruption and delays to the food supply system as a result of a "disorderly Brexit".

The committee analysed the government's response to the disruption to food supplies caused by COVID-19.

Although committee chair Neil Parish said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs response was "commendable" once the pandemic hit, the report questions why the government appeared unprepared for disruptions - such as supermarket shortages due to increased demand - which other countries had experienced when they went into lockdown before the UK.

Increased buying was not a result of "panic", according to the committee, but "a reasonable and predictable response to the expectation that more meals would need to be eaten at home".

Mr Parish said despite the easing of lockdown "problems with food security are far from over".

He added: "Food banks and other food redistribution organisations have reacted heroically to a shocking spike in demand for food aid, but this problem is likely to get worse before it gets better.

"It is therefore essential that the government appoints a new minister for food security who will stop this issue falling between the cracks.

"The government's actions to lock down the country and close businesses were necessary, but they had huge impacts on the food sector and on food security."

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The report also highlighted issues with the voucher scheme for free school meals. Initially the vouchers could be used at supermarkets like Waitrose and M&S but not at Aldi or Lidl, which the report said was "out of touch with the reality of where families were likely to shop".

Around 4.9 million adults and 1.7 million children are currently facing food insecurity in the UK, according to the committee, which the UN defines as a lack of physical and economic access to sufficient and nutritious food.

The cross-party group is asking the government to consult on whether a 'right to food' should be put in legislation.

A government spokesperson said: "[we have] invested record levels of funding to help people get the food they need.

"Our COVID-19 task force has also brought together expertise across government to tackle the extraordinary circumstances of this pandemic and ensure those most vulnerable in our society are protected."

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Coronavirus, Brexit and climate change threaten food security for millions in the UK - Sky News

Former Labour MP Frank Field argued European Union rules on free movement resulted in carers' wages being kept low in the UK. While speaking to Brexit Watch with Jonathan Saxty, the Brexiteer insisted it was important the UK was free to correct the negative effects the EU had on Britain. Mr Field also called for mass reform to the care sector after Brexit at the end of the year.

Mr Field said: "We will not ever be able to do justice for carers in this country until we have left the European Union and we can control our borders.

"For decades now it has been obvious that Britain is an ageing population.

"Therefore, other things being equal, we would have seen a very significant rise in the wages of carers as demand went up.

"This increase in demand was totally neutered by being part of the European Union with the free movement of labour.

DON'T MISS:Report to Remainer Sadiq Khan - Brexit BIGGER risk than coronavirus

"This meant that people just came into this country and filled those vacancies at current wage rates rather than pushing them higher."

Mr Field argued the importance of reforming the care industry and its importance in post-coronavirus Britain.

He said: "What I very much hope for the Government's reform is they integrate the NHS and social care and that we commit ourselves to a higher minimum wage for the sector of care.

"We would move away from having a single national minimum wage to having wages pushed up further in certain areas, like with caring.

"This is so we can reward people better and we will be able to do so because of the higher minimum wage rates for that sector will not be attracting people from the EU under the free movement rules.

"The simple reason being those rules come crashing down as well.

"We will be in a position for the very first time to start delivering seriously a proper wage for those carers that look after so many of us at the end of our lives.

"Leaving the European Union at the end of the year allows us from January 1 onwards to have a proper wage policy.

READ MORE:

Guy Verhofstadts cynical plot to see Brexit Britain suffer exposed[ANALYSIS]EU has NO future! Verhofstadt triggers backlash[INSIGHT]Brexit LIVE: EU breaks silence with scathing attack on UK[LIVE BLOG]

"We will be able to increase real salaries for care workers as of January next year."

Brexit trade deal talks between the UK and EU have so far proven unsuccessful.

Michel Barnier last week claimed that a deal was looking less likely as he admitted to not making much progress with the UK.

However, UK Brexit negotiator David Frost claimed that a deal could be reached by the end of the year if the EU realised the UK would not sacrifice its sovereignty for a trade deal.

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Brexiteer exposes heavy restraints the EU had over the UK - 'EU rules come crashing down!' - Daily Express

NewsPoliticsThe row over where some powers will lie when they return from the EU with the UK government or devolved administrations has intensified after it was revealed that judges will have to decide when there are disputes between the four nations.

Wednesday, 29th July 2020, 6:33 pm

The House of Lords was told that legal disputes between governments would be resolved through the courts though it was not specified which courts and no new dispute resolution procedure would be established.

Opposition MPs have been calling for such a system to be organised to arbitrate on disagreements around common frameworks where legislation is already devolved, such as air quality and agriculture, but where standards were set by Brussels.

While Business Secretary Alok Sharma has already introduced proposals for a UK internal market earlier this month, he has avoided the issue of disagreement arbitration. However his government colleague Lord Martin Callanan, today told peers that judges would decide.

Responding to Plaid Cymrus Lord Wigley question about the need for a dispute resolution system with all four nations having an equal voice, he said: I hope there wont be any disputes, but if there were they would be legal disputes and the correct forum for resolving legal disputes is through the court system.

We have no intention of setting up an alternative dispute resolution procedure when we have one of the best and most efficient court systems in the world to resolve disputes.

Reacting to the statement, Kirsten Oswald MP, the SNPs Westminster Deputy leader, said it was confirmation that the UK government has no intention of meaningfully engaging with the devolved governments for an agreed dispute resolution system.

She added: It is yet another sign of the Tories total disregard for the devolved nations. The Tory government has opened the door for companies with deep pockets to challenge Holyrood legislation if we try to maintain higher standards than Westminster post-Brexit putting at risk our key industries with the threat of the imposition of lower standard goods and produce.

Far from strengthening the devolved nations, the UK government's internal market plans will enable the decisions of the Scottish Government to be overridden over devolved areas such as food and agriculture in Scotland."

The Scottish Government had previously said the internal market proposal, which requires all four nations to accept goods and services from other parts of the UK, even if they have set different standards locally, makes a mockery of devolution.

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Brexit: Peers told judges will decide on disputed powers - The Scotsman

The UK is looks set to miss its 2020 recycling target

Government promises to enshrine target to achieve 65 per cent recycling rate by 2035 in UK law as it publishes new Circular Economy Plan

The government has confirmed a number of key EU recycling targets are to be maintained in the UK once the Brexit transition preriod comes to an end, as it today published a fresh circular economy plan that will put into law a goal to recycle 65 per cent of municipal waste by 2035.

The announcement comes around a fortnight the UK missed the official deadline for transferring the EU's Circular Economy Package - including a raft of statutory recycling targets - into UK legislation, a move that caused concernamong some green groups.

However, the new UK Circular Economy Package unveiled today enshrines a number of the EU's headline ambitions into UK law, namely for for municipal waste to be reduced by 65 per cent by 2035, and a commitment to ensure that no more than 10 per cent of municipal waste ends up in landfill by the same date.

The recycling policy package, which is set to become law later this year, restricts the materials which can be landfilled or incinerated, and mandates that waste separately collected for recycling from households cannot be burned for energy or buried.

The UK has struggled to boost its recycling rate recent years, particularly in England. Having plateaued at around 45 per cent for several years across the UK, last year the figure even dropped slightly, rendering the EU's legal target to achieve a 50 per cent recycling rate by the end of 2020 a near impossible task.

Launching the new Circular Economy Package today, Environment minister Rebecca Pow said increasing recycling rates and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill would create a "cleaner waste economy" while also helping to deliver much needed CO2 reductions.

"Through our landmark Environment Bill we will be bringing forward a raft of measures to do just that, and this new Circular Economy Package takes us yet another step forward to transforming our waste industry," she said.

Other measures targeted at driving up recycling and reducing waste in the government's Environment Bill include plans for a tax on businesses that produce or import plastic packaging that has less than 30 per cent recycled content, and a deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers that would boost recycling rates.

Libby Peake, head of resource policy at environmental think tank Green Alliance, applauded the government's decision to maintain the 65 per cent ambition.

"Its great news that the government has listened to our call to enshrine the ambitious 65 per cent recycling target into UK law," she said. "This suggests a resolve not to let the EU pull ahead from us on environmental ambitions. Now we need the right policies to follow through and deliver the reqiured improvements."

Meanwhile, the Chartered Institution of Waste Management said it was "pleased to see the joint statement issued today by the four UK governments". It added: "While the devil is always in the detail, and CIWM will be scrutinising the list of transposition measures proposed, it is reassuring to see that the UK will remain aligned with an important package of measures that will shape resources and waste policy across Europe for years to come."

In related news, meanwhile, the government also revealed today that plastic carrier bag sales have dropped more than 95 per cent in England's main supermarkets since 2015 when the 5p charge was introduced.

The average person in England now buys juts four bags a year from the main supermarket retailers, the government said, compared with 10 last year and 140 in 2014.

While the 5p charge currently applies to all retailers employing more than 250 people, the government has consulted on extending this to all businesses as well as increasing the minimum charge to 10p. A formal response to that consultation will be delivered "in due course", the government said today.

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UK moves to keep EU waste and recycling targets post-Brexit - http://www.businessgreen.com

PUBLISHED: 15:01 28 July 2020 | UPDATED: 15:53 28 July 2020

Adrian Zorzut

Chancellor Rishi Sunak speaks CEO of Worcester Bosch, Carl Arntzen (right) during his visit to Worcester Bosch factory. Photograph: Phil Noble/PA.

PA Wire/PA Images

The UKs economy could be in for a double shock as companies who survived the coronavirus pandemic could face going under as a result of Britain leaving the EU single market at the end of this year.

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Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only continue to grow with your support.

A study by the London School of Economics warned that UK industries across the board face huge financial pressures as a result of Brexit, regardless of whether Boris Johnson secures a trade deal with the EU or not.

Analysis of monthly surveys from members of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a not-for-profit body that represents UK businesses, shows that companies remain deeply concerned over the simultaneous impacts of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic on trade.

Executives across the business spectrum are particularly worried about the state of the UK economy from autumn when the Treasurys furlough scheme ends and the new trading environment for the UK outside the EU begins to bite.

The report, Covid-19 and Brexit: Real-Time Updates on Business Performance in the United Kingdom due out on Wednesday by the LSEs Centre for Economic Performance said industries that were able to operate with staff working from home during the pandemic will be one of the hardest hit by changes brought about by Brexit.

It said sectors such as professional services, including accountancy and legal services, publishing, and chemicals, will be stung with having to fill out customs declarations to trade with the EU.

The report also criticises Downing Street for falling short on its promise to guide Brexit according impact assessments across all UK industries after it emerged only 10 sectors have been covered to date.

The government must move beyond its broad assessment of Brexit impacts to much more finely tuned plans in preparation for the biggest slowdown of our lifetime said Josh de Lyon, a research assistant at the LSE centre who co-authored the report.

Swati Dhingra, an economics professor who also contributed to the study, said that Covid-19 had reduced the capacity of the UK economy to take further shocks, and rushing Brexit through would broaden the set of sectors that experienced worsening business conditions.

The LSE report urges the government to devise a industrial strategy that reflects the reality of being in a post-Brexit UK which is placed in a post-Covid world economy in which global trade shrinks.

Naomi Smith, chief executive for pro-EU group Best for Britain, said the clock is ticking to heed the warnings.

The LSEs work chimes with the findings of Best for Britains recent report into the double-whammy winter looming for UK businesses, particularly in areas such as the Midlands and North West England, where the major business sectors are particularly exposed.

We echo the LSEs concerns that a thin or no-deal Brexit will result in wider economic damage.

The needless piling of pain upon pain for struggling businesses will cost jobs and hurt the economy, at a time when our countrys finances desperately need to be shored up.

The government must heed these warnings, and grab the opportunity to draw up much more detailed plans for businesses, sector-by-sector, before time runs out.

Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

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Brexit to cause 'double shock' for UK economy regardless of deal, study finds - The New European

NewsOpinionColumnistsTHERE is now unanimity at Westminster over the need for an independent inquiry into Covid-19 after Boris Johnson acceded to calls by Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem interim leader, this month.

Thursday, 30th July 2020, 5:48 am

Yet, while its timing is still open to debate as the pandemic unfolds and Europe begins to brace itself for a second wave of cases, lessons can be learned in the interim.

Each Whitehall ministry, quango, NHS trust and local authority needs to be reviewing and refining its work now and the best-led organisations will already be doing so without waiting to be pre-empted by an inquiry.

An example is food security and todays call by the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee for Defra to appoint a dedicated minister whose primary task is maintaining crucial supplies rather than becoming sidetracked by other policy pressures.

Notwithstanding the farming and food industrys collective effort to keep the shelves stocked when Britain was in the grip of panic buying, they now have a second challenge Brexit as Britain prepares to leave the European Union on December 31.

But it is clear, judging by the underlying tone of this Parliamentary report, that theres insufficient confidence in Defras current leadership on issues ranging from the availability of sufficient labour to help farmers with the annual harvest to uncertainty governing trade future arrangements with the EU and no grasp of the consequences of well-intended initiatives like the voucher scheme for free school meals.

As such, theres no reason or excuse for such select committee reports being ignored by Environment Secretary George Eustice or others. Operating on a cross-party basis, they command authority and should be used as the basis for more immediate policy improvements before a more reflective and wide-ranging inquiry can be held.

Editors note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Posts journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdogs Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

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Dont leave food security and farming at mercy of Brexit and virus The Yorkshire Post says - Yorkshire Post

The harsh line comes in stark contrast to recent remarks by Michel Barnier, who has tried to chart a path towards compromise by agreeing to water down the EU's insistence on status quo access.

He has tabled a mix-and-match solution pairing the UK's demand for a system of zonal attachment, which is based on scientific calculations of where fish species live, with weighting to reflect the historic rights of European fishermen.

So far British negotiators have rebuffed the offer and insisted Brussels must accept the UK will take back full control of its waters as an independent coastal state on January 1.

At a meeting of senior EU diplomats last week the French representative lashed out at colleagues from Lithuania and Hungary after they said hardline fishing demands driven by coastal states mustn't stand in the way of a deal.

In a first sign of internal splits within the bloc, France's ambassador accused them of showing a lack of solidarity and undermining unity, calling the comments "unacceptable".

However, privately negotiators in Brussels are confident it is "not that complicated" to find a compromise on access to waters, especially if Boris Johnson can demonstrate a big win for Scottish fishermen.

A senior EU source said: "It's a big ask for the EU and it's not such a big give for the UK, because in the end it's access to waters for access to markets. You can't eat fish in the morning, the evening, and at night."

EU diplomats said a major concern for Member States is that Brussels has the power to hit Britain with sanctions in other areas of trade if it suddenly decides to cut off access to waters for their vessels.

One said: "There is a clear interest on the UK side, because their fleet wont even be able to fish as much as is now being fished in UK waters, and the majority of their fish products exported to the internal market."

During a video conference call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month the PM insisted the final deal will have to represent a "huge difference" from the current arrangements.

Meanwhile, Mr Barnier has set a new deadline of October 31 for the negotiations to be wrapped up.

He told the French parliament's foreign affairs committee thatHalloween is the latest possible date if the agreement is to be ratified in time for the end of the year.

Mr Barnier also revealedthe majority of the final trade deal will notneed to be voted on by the 27 member state parliaments, boosting the chances of it being in place on January 1.

A UK spokesman said:The EU continues to insist on fisheries arrangements and access to UK fishing waters in a continuation of the status quo. This is incompatible with our future status as an independent coastal state.

We are fully committed to agreeing fishing provisions in line with the Political Declaration, but we cannot agree arrangements that are manifestly unbalanced, against the interests of the UK fishing industry, and do not respect the UKs right to control access to its waters from January next year.

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Post-Brexit fishing row escalates as France tells the UK it will fight for French fishermen - Telegraph.co.uk

Mr Barclay told viewers: "The wider approach to space fits within two different aims.

"You've got the industrial strategy element of that through Alok Sharma and then you've also got the integrated review in terms of how that fits within our defence capabilities where space is a part of that.

"I think the direction of travel is certainly in the way."

READ MORE:Tory peer dismantles EU claim as he insists UK will thrive on WTO exit

He added: "We are investing 22billion in our R&D, a massive increase and there's a very strong focus on that.

"Clearly there's a link between R&D and our commitment to space.

"I would expect to be doing more in the wider area.

"But obviously individual schemes need to be looked at on their notes as well."

However, Jan Woerner, the boss of the European Space Agency (ESA) described British plans to develop a rival to Galileo as a "bad idea".

He told Express.co.uk: "I don't like Brexit, to be very blunt.

"I don't like it, because this is artificial, what we are doing.

"There might be some effects, for instance, through the Galileo programme, which is implemented through ESA, or the Copernicus programme.

"We will do our utmost to reduce all the impact as much as we can from our point of view."

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Brexit Britain to TAKE ON Brussels' Galileo with 'massive' space technology investment - Daily Express

Britain is a democracy with heavy caveats. It allows its citizens an equal vote, but not an equal say. Those with wealth gain power and influence through access to politicians, donations to political parties, lobbying, well-funded thinktanks and ownership of most of the press.

As inequality grows, so does the political influence of the rich, is how that well-known bastion of socialism the Economist put it a couple of years ago. Yet we are denied a proper debate on how British democracy is subverted by vested interests because it would mean most newspapers who play a major part in framing the national conversation having to scrutinise their own role.

This week, the long-delayed intelligence and security committee report into alleged Russian interference in British democracy had troubling findings: not least ministers turning an apparent blind eye. Vladimir Putins kleptocratic gangster regime should be opposed by anyone with progressive inclinations: for its murderous war in Chechnya, in which tens of thousands perished; its state-sanctioned bigotry against LGBTQ people; and for its ties with the European far right. That the Conservatives financially benefit from donations linked to Russian oligarchs is itself a concern, as is Britains status as a safe haven for dirty money worth about 100bn a year.

There is all too little scrutiny into how the wealthy interfere in and distort our democracy

But the spectre of Russian interference has become a crutch for many liberal centrists. Easier to claim the nefarious hand of Putin is responsible for political events we do not like from Brexit to Donald Trump than to ask searching questions about our own dysfunctional democracies. Calls to clamp down on states intervening in each others affairs need to be consistent, or risk being hypocritical and self-serving. The United States backed Boris Yeltsins presidential campaign in 1996: a Time front page in July 2016 hailed The secret story of how American advisers helped Yeltsin win, and the Bill Clinton administration lobbied the International Monetary Fund to provide Yeltsin with a loan to boost his re-election efforts.

Richard Dearlove, the former MI6 chief, has publicly regretted that British security services helped Putin win power in 2000. On the eve of that presidential election, Tony Blair praised Putin as a moderniser who was highly intelligent and with a focused view of what he wants to achieve in Russia, even as Chechnya was being flattened. Postwar history is littered with examples of western-backed coups and meddling in foreign elections.

But when figures such as the Labour peer Andrew Adonis claim Putin helped swing the 2016 Brexit referendum, other far more salient factors are obscured. Facebook advertising undoubtedly played a role the Vote Leave campaign would not have spent more than 2.7m on it otherwise but in 2016, just 7% of the most pro-leave demographic, the over-65s, used Facebook for news, compared with 49% of the most pro-remain age group, the under-25s, according to Ofcom.

Of far more relevance was the role of the two largest newspapers in Britain, the Sun owned by an Australian-born American mogul, if were talking of foreign intervention and the Daily Mail, which forcefully campaigned for Brexit. Not only do they have millions of readers, their front pages play a key role in shaping broadcast news coverage too. And given that immigration played a key role in the referendum, years of inaccurate and inflammatory press reporting on migrants surely had a dramatic impact on the result.

As a 2018 academic study found, while the media are not all-powerful, there is ample evidence that the media can impact on attitude formation, especially (but not exclusively) where the public are dependent on coverage, have weak partisan predispositions, or where reporting is uniform or near-uniform across a range of sources. Polls routinely find that the public believe benefit fraud and teenage pregnancy is far higher than is the case, and that there are more migrants: undoubtedly this has much to do with exaggerated and misleading reporting.

According to Will Straw, formerly of Britain Stronger in Europe, when the official remain campaign conducted a poll in the summer of 2015, it found that 52% supported continued membership of the EU, with 48% for leaving. This was based on two-thirds of Labour supporters and 50% of Tory voters opting for remain. While Labour remain support held up all the way to referendum day, Tory support slumped to 40%, ensuring a Brexit triumph: it would be delusional to ignore the role of rightwing newspapers disproportionately read by Tory voters.

The obsessive focus with Putin robs us of the chance to discuss these issues. After the 2016 defeat, the rational approach by the remain movement would have been to focus on winning over leave voters. Instead, social media helped radicalise some remainers into believing the referendum was illegitimate and hence that it was a legal rather than a political problem. The menace of Russian intervention helped cement this attitude.

That doesnt mean ignoring possible foreign meddling in democratic processes, here or abroad, and measures must be taken to safeguard elections. But while much time and energy has been expended on debating the role of Russia, there is all too little scrutiny about the far greater crisis of how the wealthy, and their vested interests, interfere in and distort democracy. Until we challenge that the question marks over our own democracy will remain.

Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

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Russian intervention didn't sway the Brexit referendum our rightwing press did - The Guardian