25th September 2017

U.S.-UK Business Council: Priorities for a New EU-UK Economic Partnership

As the Brexit negotiations continue, the business community is eager to ensure that economic disruptions are minimized. Millions of jobs on both sides of the Channel rely directly on EU-UK trade and investment flows.  Both economies would be hit hard by a “cliff edge” scenario, with an immediate return to WTO tariffs and regulatory uncertainty governing cross-border trade in goods and services.

The U.S.-UK Business Council represents companies with large investments—directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs—in both Britain and the EU.  Our members have a significant stake in the outcome of these negotiations, and we aim to provide information that will help negotiators minimize the adverse effects of the reset in UK-EU relations.  This includes forging a close economic partnership between the EU and UK implemented following a suitable transition period.

Understandably, the terms of an orderly UK withdrawal must be finalized first.  Employers, workers, and governments must agree on a fair and equitable system to protect citizens’ rights to work and migrate after Brexit occurs. A fair financial settlement must be calculated, and the critical issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland must be resolved to minimize friction in commerce and travel across the island of Ireland.

Once sufficient progress has been made on these issues, attention must turn quickly to the contours of the future relationship.  This will be essential to minimize uncertainty for workers, employers, consumers, and citizens alike.  In this context, we are pleased that the UK government released position papers on several important issues, and we are similarly encouraged by the proactive approach of the European Commission to negotiate a deal that works for all of Europe, pursuant to the European Council’s negotiating guidelines.

We have identified several key issues that must be addressed in the context of a future EU-UK economic partnership agreement.  These include: market access for goods; customs and trade facilitation; data protection and data transfers; financial services; intellectual property rights protection; movement of labor; and regulatory cooperation.

Read full article and report.

Members of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic