EU Exit Bulletin - 28 January 2022

In this week’s bulletin, read about the latest from the Northern Ireland Protocol talks, hear more about our webinar ‘Brexit – preparing for the second year’, and sign up for information events on using the UKCA mark in Northern Ireland. In other news, HMRC has asked us to notify readers about a goods vehicle movement service (GVMS) outage this weekend.   

Latest from Protocol talks

This week, Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss held a second meeting on the Northern Ireland Protocol implementation. The meeting followed a week of intensive talks between both sides.

In a statement following the meeting, the EU’s chief negotiator highlighted to Ms Truss that they “needed to start taking things off the table” and urged that both sides must delve into the issues relating to moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Mr Šefčovič said the EU had proposed “an extensive reduction of formalities unmatched for any third country” and “a timely agreement on durable solutions” would immediately help operators on the ground.

A statement from the UK government said that both Ms Truss and Mr Šefčovič “reaffirmed their shared desire for a positive EU-UK relationship underpinned by our shared belief in freedom and democracy and cooperation on common global challenges.”

Both sides will meet again next week and agreed that the EU-UK Joint Committee on the Withdrawal Agreement will take place in February.  

Brexit - preparing for the second year (Ireland)- CPD course 31 January

Customs expert Tony Buckley will look at the impact the first year of Brexit has had on trading patterns and practices in our latest Brexit webinar.  That pace of change will accelerate in 2022, with more UK border controls and likely some settling down of the Northern Ireland Protocol.  This live interactive course will consider the key issues for 2022 and how businesses can now adjust for the longer term. 

Book now

Goods vehicle movement service (“GVMS”) outage this weekend 

HMRC has asked us to let you know that GVMS related actions should be completed this week before 9:30pm on Saturday 29 January 2022 due to a planned outage from 9:30pm Saturday 29 January 2022 to 5:00am Sunday 30 January 2022.  

During this time window, it will not be possible to create Goods Movement References (“GMRs”) or make amendments or updates to GMRs, which include any CDS declarations.  

HMRC has contacted carriers about steps to take and apologises for any inconvenience caused. 

You can find out more information on downtime and technical issues with HMRC online services on the relevant page on GOV.UK. 

Sign up for webinars on using the UKCA mark 

The new UK conformity assessment marking (UKCA) rules, replacing the EU’s CE mark, will come into force from 1 January 2023.  Manufacturers will need to start to use the UKCA to place goods on the market in Great Britain to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe, and non-compliant goods. There are different rules for Northern Ireland and the series of webinars hosted by the UK government should help businesses understand the process of adopting UKCA safety markings. 

Book now.

Register for ‘Ask the expert’ events in February

To help you in the completion of supplementary declarations, the Northern Ireland Customs and Trade Academy will be running interactive Q&A sessions with small groups across February, allowing you to put complex queries to customs and trade experts. The sessions are as follows:

Having issues with setting up your API (Application Programming Interface)? - Join a one-hour webinar on 8 February

Having trouble with movements under a customs special procedure? Join a one-hour webinar on 9 February

Are your declarations stuck in Trader Input Required (TIR), with errors, draft or payment pending? Join a one-hour webinar on 10 February.

Miscellaneous updated guidance on GOV.UK

The following documents/guidance relevant to EU exit have been updated/published recently:

• Apply to use simplified declarations for imports;
• Making an import supplementary declaration;
• Making an import declaration in your records;
• Customs, VAT and Excise UK transition legislation from 1 January 2021;
• Search the register of customs agents and fast parcel operators;
• Transport goods in and out of the UK using vans or car and trailers from 21 May 2022;
• Touring Europe – checklists for the arts, cultural, creative, and heritage sectors;
• Participating in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS);
• Check how to move goods through ports that use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service;
• Get a goods movement reference;
• List of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service;
• Great Britain Marketing Authorisations (MAs) for Centrally Authorised Products (CAPs);
• Importing or moving fish to the UK;
• Protected geographical food and drink names: applications, objections, and decisions;
• The Border Operating Model;
• Moving goods between Spain to GB;
• Moving goods from Italy to Great Britain;
• Moving goods from Belgium to Great Britain;
• Moving goods from the Netherlands to Great Britain;
• Moving goods from Germany to Great Britain;
• Moving goods from Poland to Great Britain;
• Moving goods from Portugal to Great Britain;
• UK Common Frameworks;
• Webinars and videos for organisations that trade with the EU;
• Moving goods from France to Great Britain;
• Claim a waiver for duty on goods that you bring to Northern Ireland from Great Britain or countries outside the UK and EU;
• Import of products, animals, food, and feed system (IPAFFS);
• The Representation of the People (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022;
• Register for the goods vehicle movement service;
• Import of products, animals, food, and feed system (IPAFFS);
• Passport rules for travel to Europe;
• Goods leaving Great Britain from 1 January 2022 at ports using GVMS (CIP 2);
• EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance;
• Delaying declarations for goods brought into Great Britain;
• Transiting animals and animal products through Great Britain;
• Goods leaving Great Britain from 1 January 2022 at ports using GVMS (CIP 2);
• Protected geographical food and drink names: applications, objections, and decisions;
• Letters to businesses about importing and exporting goods between Great Britain and the EU;
• Making a delayed supplementary import declaration using CHIEF;
• Making a delayed supplementary import declaration using the Customs Declaration Service; and
• Goods leaving Great Britain from 1 January 2022 at ports using GVMS (CIP 2).