Brexit: This week the Commission has published a new document to facilitate readiness and preparations by citizens, public administrations, businesses for the unavoidable disruptions on 1 Jan 2021: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/brexit_files/info_site/com_2020_324_2_communication_from_commission_to_inst_en_0.pdf Some highlights here:

Custom formalities: EU businesses wishing to import/export from and to the UK will need an EORI number; EORI numbers issued by the UK will not be valid in the EU

Taxes: Goods not meeting origin requirements will meet customs duties even with a 0-tariff, 0-quota EU-UK trade agreement. EU exporters need to reassess supply chains & may have to relocate production or change suppliers to continue benefit from EU preferential trade arrangements

VAT: will be due upon importation of goods brought into the VAT territory of the EU from the UK.

Compliance of products: EU businesses placing goods on the UK market will need to make sure that they comply with all relevant UK rules as of 1 January 2021.

Services: freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services will no longer apply to individuals and businesses from the UK operating in the EU or EU individuals and businesses operating in the UK as of 1/1/2021

Financial services: EU businesses, banks or investors that currently rely on UK service providers should consider how this may affect their operations and take all the necessary steps to prepare for all possible scenarios.

Transport operators: UK companies will no longer be able to perform transport services within the EU as part of the Single Market. Much will depend on the negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship in the area of transport.

Audiovisual: service providers established in UK and supplying audiovisual services to the EU should take measures to ensure compliance with each national regime where they want to provide services. EU providers wishing to supply services in UK will need to abide by UK rules.

Professional qualifications: UK nationals, wherever they acquired their qualifications, and EU citizens with qualifications acquired in the UK will need to have them recognised in the relevant Member State on the basis of that country’s rules for third-country nationals.

Energy: Businesses and Member State administrations should take into account that, from January 2021, trades over electricity interconnectors with Great Britain will not be managed through Union platforms and will become third country energy flows

Travel: As of 1 January 2021, UK nationals travelling to the European Union and the Schengen area will be treated as third-country nationals, and therefore subject to thorough checks at the Schengen area border.

Travel with pets: an EU pet passport issued to a pet owner resident in the UK will no longer be a valid document for travelling with pets from the UK to the EU.

Driving licenses: driving licenses issued by the UK will no longer benefit from mutual recognition under EU law. The recognition of driving licences issued by the United Kingdom will be regulated at Member State level.

Roaming: access for UK consumers to Roam-Like-At-Home in the EU will no longer be guaranteed by EU law; nor will it be guaranteed for EU consumers travelling to the UK.
Both UK and EU mobile operators will thus be able to apply a surcharge on roaming customers.

Passenger rights: the level of protection of passengers travelling between the EU and the UK will be affected. Depending on the transport mode, passengers may no longer be protected by EU passenger rights when travelling to or from the UK.

Free movement of people: it just ends. This will have repercussions for all EU citizens who are not beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement and wish to stay in the UK for longer periods, be they students, workers, retired people or their family members.

Social security coordination (pensions etc.): There will not be the same extensive cross-border social security protection as under current EU rules. Even under a future partnership agreement with the UK, only certain social security entitlements could potentially be ensured.

Company law: UK incorporated companies will be third-country companies. Their recognition will be subject to national law for third country-inc companies. Companies incorporated in the UK wishing to become EU companies should take steps to incorporate in an EU Member State.

Intellectual property: while existing EU trademarks, Community designs, Community plant variety rights and geographical indications remain protected under the Withdrawal Agreement, any new EU unitary rights will no longer have effect in the UK.

Data transfers and data protection: transfers of personal data to the UK can continue, but have to comply with specific rules for transfer of
personal data to third countries, as set out in the EU General Data Protection Regulation or in the Law Enforcement Directive.

Web domains .eu: businesses established in the UK and not in the EU, and UK residents who are not EU citizens will no longer be eligible to register OR HOLD .eu domain names. If they cannot demonstrate their continued eligibility, their domain names will be withdrawn.

Conclusion: Readiness is key

There will be far-reaching, automatic and unavoidable consequences for citizens, consumers, businesses, public administrations, investors, students and researchers.

Full text: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/brexit_files/info_site/com_2020_324_2_communication_from_commission_to_inst_en_0.pdf

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