UK delays full post-Brexit border checks from EU

Sep 14, 2021: Britain on Tuesday said it would push back its implementation of full post-Brexit borders checks on goods from the European Union, as the pandemic, red tape and new immigration rules fuel supply problems.

Plans to introduce full controls in areas such as the import of food and animal products had been due from next month but would now start from January next year under a "pragmatic new timetable", Downing Street said.

Britain will still introduce full customs declarations and controls on January 1, 2022, as planned.

Certification and physical checks on food and animal goods designed to protect against diseases, pests and contaminants -- due to be introduced on January 1 -- will now be introduced in July 2022.

Requirements for Safety and Security declarations will be also be pushed back to July.

"We want businesses to focus on their recovery from the pandemic rather than have to deal with new requirements at the border, which is why we've set out a pragmatic new timetable for introducing full border controls," said minister David Frost.

"Businesses will now have more time to prepare for these controls which will be phased in throughout 2022.

"We remain on track to deliver new systems, infrastructure and resourcing needed for these controls," he added.

The pandemic and the effects of leaving the EU single market have left Britain short of truck drivers, causing supply problems, particularly in the food and drink sector.

The UK has similarly postponed the full implementation of post-Brexit rules governing trade from mainland Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) to Northern Ireland.

London is in talks with Brussels about how to put into practice the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is designed to prevent unchecked goods heading into the EU single market via the UK's only land border with the EU to Ireland.

AFP/APP