Joint FoodDrinkEurope - FDF statement on progression of Brexit negotiations
13 December 2017
Joint FoodDrinkEurope - FDF statement on progression of Brexit negotiations
Ahead of the upcoming European Council meeting, to be held on 14-15 December, FoodDrinkEurope and the UK Food and Drink Federation would like to welcome the progress, the momentum it creates, and the positive tone that has been achieved in the negotiations that pave the way for Brexit talks to now proceed to stage two.
We would encourage members of the European Council to follow the recommendation from the European Commission that there has been “sufficient progress” to now proceed to the next phase of negotiations.
The food and drink industry on both sides of the Channel now calls on policy makers for swift progress on both future trade relations and the transition period to generate more certainty, as negotiations enter the next phase. This means keeping the 'status quo' for as long as necessary, allowing existing trade and customs arrangements to continue largely unchanged until a new trade agreement enters into force.
As the organisations representing the leading manufacturing sector in the EU, FoodDrinkEurope and the UK Food and Drink Federation will be looking forward to contributing further to the negotiations, as well as examining the areas which will need clarification in this next phase.
More information
Contact Ted Woodward, Corporate Affairs Division, at: ted.woodward@fdf.org.uk, or +44 (0) 20 7420 7140.
