Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the
government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, as a
responsible government we are preparing for all scenarios and in
December 2018 Cabinet agreed to accelerate the next phase of no
deal planning.
What is BEIS doing
to prepare businesses?
The government is taking the steps to prepare for the UK leaving
the European Union and is working to ensure that businesses have
the information they need to prepare. As well as regular and
ongoing engagement with research institutes, businesses, and
business and trade representative groups to discuss their
priorities and concerns, we have taken forward significant
preparations including:
- recruitment of 700 new staff to work on EU Exit policy using
additional funding allocated by HM Treasury for Brexit
preparedness
- passing of new legislation to lay the groundwork for our
future outside the EU with 57 out of 63 required statutory
instruments required by Exit day, including new laws for a
nuclear safeguards regime that will maintain the UK industry’s
ability to trade in the nuclear sector while ensuring the UK
remains on track to meet its international obligations on day one
of exit
- laying of legislation and the putting in place of new
measures to ensure a robust and effective product safety and
metrology regime post-Exit by the Office for Product Safety and
Standards
- the publication of 28 technical notices, including oil and
gas, climate change, company law and state aid. These will
continue to be updated. These notices also include guidance about
what actions businesses need to take in order to carry on
exporting and importing a range of goods and services
- continuing to work closely with the UK research community to
maintain collaboration with the EU while laying legislation to
ensure laws governing areas like employment rights and renewable
energy remain world-leading after we leave
- retaining a general system for recognition where UK
regulators will be required to recognise EEA and Swiss qualifications
which are of an equivalent standard to UK qualifications in
scope, content and level
- working with Ofgem, the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator
and interconnector operators to put in place arrangements that
aim to ensure that electricity and gas continue to flow across
borders through interconnectors
- signing Nuclear Cooperation Agreements (NCA) with Australia,
Canada and the United States. The NCAs allow the UK to continue
civil nuclear cooperation when current European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom) arrangements cease to apply in the UK
- protecting our climate ambition by taking steps to ensure
that, if we leave the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, on day one
companies will still have to report their carbon emissions and
there will be a carbon tax of equivalent impact – to make sure
that these important emissions don’t increase as a result of a no
deal scenario
- publishing a package of secondary legislation in December to
ensure our energy laws function effectively after exit day,
including: European Network Codes, Electricity and Gas Acts, and
EU regulations under the Third Energy Package
- £92 million of funding work on the development of options for
a UK Global Navigation Satellite System; and
- working with Cabinet Office, DExEU and
other departments to ensure all business sectors are
appropriately informed on all major issues
What do businesses need to do now?
If you run a business you can access information on a range of
measures you may need to take in order to prepare, including
the guidance available in the
event of no deal. These notices will be regularly updated
with the latest information.
Government has launched the business readiness
website which includes a tool to enable you to find out:
- what your business will need to do to prepare for the UK
leaving the EU
- what’s changing in your industry
- information on specific rules and regulations
Other sources of information are available for businesses
including from business representative organisations and trade
bodies.
