With the UK due to officially leave the EU on March 29th 2019, we now have less than 6 months to not only fully understand how the EU works, but what it does for those on the inside and what effects not being at the decision making tables at the European Parliament in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg will mean for the UK. Did you even know that the EU meets in not one, not two but three cities across Western Europe, with meetings for the whole Parliament taking place in Brussels and Strasbourg and admin being done primarily in Luxembourg? Second only to India for the size of the electorate, the power and impact of the EU cannot be underestimated. Educational programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus and key to its value, with the former acting as the largest EU Research and Innovation (R&I) programme with over €80bn of funding over 7 years between 2014 – 2020. The sheer power of this as an economic driver for advances in science, medicine, tech and the creative industries cannot be underestimated, creating a genuine single market for knowledge, business opportunity as well as R & I.

28 countries across Europe, soon to be 27, with a shared agenda across finances, IP and sustainable initiatives, creates a powerful trading bloc which represents over 500m people.

Our EU Expert, Eszter Kantor, provides us with the latest Brexit update including the European Commission’s publishing of Brexit preparedness notes and a roundup of what was discussed at Fashion Roundtable’s previous Brexit meeting.

Eszter Kantor, our EU Politics expert, comments on Theresa May’s recent efforts in Brussels and how her attitude towards the four freedoms may be relaxing.

“This information highlights the problems with the UK government`s customs options. It shows that currently the UK is struggling to maintain an effective border control with this fairly simple border arrangement that we have today. The UK border ideas include a highly technological alternative which does not exist today and an option for Northern Ireland border control to distinguish and apply different procedures for goods arriving to the UK from those that arrive and go through to the EU.  As we can see there are problems today with a high amount of fraudulent clothing and footwear entering through the UK border, these undervalued goods are not stopped and checked, meaning we don`t know if they are genuine Chinese brands that are dumped on the market below market value or counterfeits. More people and a more effective procedure is needed today on the borders to screen containers.  The threat of continuous duping of Chinese goods particularly textile and footwear is very real.”

"Why is the UK Government discussing options that a) will be rejected by the EU b) will not be possible to implement in the given time period?”

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council said: "It will make it more complicated and costly than today for all of us. This is the essence of Brexit."

As in all negotiations parties go in considering their own best interest and asking for everything they feel they can and should have. It would be great to have a written position on the asks and offers of the UK Government as well. It seems for the time being there are statements made behind closed doors (in Brussels) and statements made in public (in the UK) and these two are not quite aligned yet.