Air, Business, Freight News, Logistics, Road

FTA welcomes stay of execution

[ October 28, 2019   //   Chris ]

The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the announcement on 24 October that the EU has approved the extension of two contingency measures by another seven months to maintain road haulage and air connectivity in the event of a No Deal Brexit. It said it would bring some measure of certainty to the association’s members. However, permanent solutions should be reached to enable businesses to plan efficiently for long-term business stability and avoid yet another cliff edge, FTA added.

Under the agreements, the road haulage contingency measure, which was due to expire on 31 December, will be valid until the end of July 2020, while the aviation access contingency will be extended from March 2020 to 24 October 2020.

“The news that UK hauliers will be allowed to carry out most journeys without the limited ECMT permits is a relief to the majority of hauliers, since the permits were not designed to cope with the quantity of traffic which flows to and from the EU on a daily basis.  However, a small number of operations will not be covered by the contingency, and the flexibility which UK businesses currently enjoy will be eroded gradually if a deal is not reached between the UK and EU.  And while the aviation agreement will bring short term relief, a permanent arrangement should be prioritised to keep goods flying to and from the UK.”

 

 

 

Tags: FTA; Brexit