Today the government has ramped up preparations for the end of the transition period by publishing an updated Border Operating Model, which provides further detail on how the GB-EU border will work and the actions that traders, hauliers and passengers need to take.
The updated guidance follows extensive engagement with the border industry and the £705m package of investment for border infrastructure, jobs and technology, announced earlier this year.
This publication gives traders further information on the changes and opportunities they need to prepare for as a result of us leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union. These steps will be needed regardless of whether we reach a trade agreement with the EU.
The updated GB-EU Border Operating Model:
- Maps out the intended locations of inland border infrastructure. The sites will provide the necessary additional capacity to carry out checks on freight.
- Announces that passports will be required for entry into the UK from October 2021 as the Government phases out the use of EU, EEA and Swiss national identity cards as a valid travel document for entry to the UK. Identity cards are among the least secure documents seen at the border and ending their use will strengthen our security as the UK takes back control of its borders at the end of the transition period.
- Confirms, after extensive engagement with industry, that a Kent Access Permit will be mandatory for HGVs using the short strait channel crossings in Kent. The easy-to-use ‘Check an HGV’ service will allow hauliers to check if they have the correct customs documentation and obtain a Kent Access Permit.
Commenting on the government’s updated Border Operating Model, published today, BCC Director of Trade Facilitation Liam Smyth said:
“Today’s announcement of a revised Border Operating Model provides some more of the detail that was missing from the version published less than 12 weeks ago. Duty deferment accounts and postponed VAT accounting will both help firms’ cashflow as we enter a period of huge change at our borders.
“However, as highlighted in our recent unanswered questions document, businesses still have many areas where they urgently need more certainty, such as how the border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will operate, clear guidance on rules of origin, which will only be done by ramping up government engagement with business.
“With just over 80 days until the end of the transition period, the businesses that produce the £300bn of UK exports to the EU are desperate for news of a comprehensive free trade agreement that will provide jobs and future prosperity across the United Kingdom.”