More guidance has been released around the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – a major European piece of environmental legislation – with training and additional documentation provided to traders.
Another major EU proposal, the ‘Made in Europe’ scheme, is also making headlines. According to new analysis, the UK’s exclusion from the proposal could cost European nations like Spain, Germany and France thousands of jobs and hundreds of billions of euros.
EUDR guidance released
The European Commission (EC) has released an updated user guide on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), specifically on its information system.
According to the latest EC communication, the guide provides “clear instructions for users on how to create and manage Due Diligence Statements or Simplified Declarations for the purpose of EUDR”.
The ‘User Guide for Economic Operators’ includes information on procedures, managing due diligence statements and other parts of using the system.
Dates for training on the EUDR Information System have been released, with two types of sessions on offer. Additionally, more information on the roles and responsibilities under the EUDR has been released on the ‘Green Forum’ website.
The Chartered Institute is hosting a Lunchtime Learning session on the EUDR in October, providing information on both the UK and the EU versions of the regulation.
Made in Europe
Excluding the UK from European automotive supply chains could cost the EU billions in lost revenue and put thousands of jobs at risk, according to new research.
According to a report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Oxford Economics, UK automotive production directly supports €24bn of EU economic activity and 250,000 jobs across Europe. Additionally, the SMMT says that UK car exports to the EU support 58,000 jobs, result in €5.6bn spend on goods and services, and produce €1.6bn in tax revenues.
The SMMT says that the EU Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which could exclude the UK from European supply chains under the ‘Made in Europe’ plans, could put this €80bn trading relationship at risk. European nations like Spain, Germany and France are particularly exposed to these risks.
The Made in Europe plan has been a topic of discussion recently, with senior UK politicians pushing for British inclusion in the IAA as part of the ‘reset’ negotiations.
Burnham meets Trump
US President Donald Trump said he can “do business” with UK prime minister Andy Burnham during their first face-to-face meeting, held at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Burnham said told reporters he had "established a good connection" with Trump, working through issues like immigration and trade. He also said that the UK had been in “too much turbulence” in recent times but said that it was time to “turn the story” of the country into a positive one.
However, Trump criticised the “terrible” deal for the UK to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in exchange for a lease-deal for military bases.
One British official told the Guardian that they were delighted with how talks had gone, saying it was at “the top end of our expectations”, with thorny issues like the Falklands, Ireland and Israel largely passing unannounced.
“More than anything, we just needed them to connect and start building a relationship that we can leverage when we need to,” another government official told the publication.
Other headlines
- Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has promised £17bn in tax cuts, in his keynote speech at party conference
- HMRC has urged users of the Trader Support Service to prepare for a switchover to a new platform. From 20 October, all goods movements must be submitted on this new system
- The UK and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) released a joint statement on economic cooperation, celebrating five years of a joint dialogue partnership
Yesterday in trade
- The EU Customs Reform entered into force, bringing in a new Union Customs Code and the establishment of the EU Customs Authority
- Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper told her party’s conference that UK businesses were “desperate” for growth
- The UK has agreed to provide military support to Saudi Arabia, as Riyad looks to fight off a resurgent Houthi menace
