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BREXIT

Ireland deepens France links with Brittany consulate

Ireland on Friday deepened its links with France in the wake of Brexit by opening an honorary consulate in the western port of Roscoff.

Ireland deepens France links with Brittany consulate
Archive photo of the ferry terminal of the maritime transport company "Brittany Ferries" in the western port of Roscoff. An honorary consulate has been opened here to deepen links between Ireland and France in the wake of Brexit. Photo by MARCEL MOCHET / AFP

“France is now Ireland’s closest EU neighbour and Brittany the closest region to us,” said James Browne, Irish minister of state at the department of justice.

“This has created a Brexit bounce – even perhaps a Breton bounce — in our relations,” added Browne of the move to deepen links between Dublin and Paris by opening the facility at the port headquarters of Brittany Ferries.

“French businesses thrive in Ireland and France is one of the main markets for Ireland’s goods, services and agricultural products. We enjoy this freedom to travel and to trade through our shared European membership. Ireland is proud to celebrate 50 years of EU membership this year,” added Browne.

He underlined that “maritime connectivity has tripled and two-way trade in goods jumped by 18 percent last year” between the two countries.

Browne saluted Brittany Ferries president Jean-Marc Roue, named as honorary consul, as “a proud Breton”, whose “expertise and leadership in the areas of transport, agriculture and maritime issues will be a real asset in this new role.

“We value his counsel and will look to him to help us as we advance our common agenda for deepening Ireland-Brittany relations.

Stephane Perrin, vice-president of the Brittany region playfully welcomed the boost the move would afford “perspectives for partnership between French and Irish ports which we could not have guessed at, thanks to Brexit. Thank you Boris Johnson!”

Irish ambassador to France Niall Burgess said Brexit had created “new challenges for Ireland and for France. But where there are challenges there are also opportunities”.

Burgess said weekly crossings between Ireland and France had quadrupled inside the past two years from 12 to almost 50.

Roue stated passenger traffic between Ireland and France had risen 43 percent since 2019 and freight was up 15 percent.

Head of Enterprise Ireland France Patrick Torrekens said Irish companies were increasingly looking to maritime links to the continental mainland for their exchanges with fellow EU states rather than first having to go through now former EU member the United Kingdom.

That enabled them, said Torrekens to “avoid additional customs formalities” and potential delays.

Member comments

  1. Best route is still across UK Faster and cheaper, 20 hours from Dublin to Cherbourg ( they will say it’s less it’s not) freight will move back to land bridge when they sort the paperwork out.

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TRAVEL NEWS

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

Eurostar could be forced to cut the number of trains when the EU's new biometric border checks (EES) are rolled out in October, the owner of London's St Pancras International Station has warned.

EES: Eurostar could limit services over new biometric passport checks

HS1, the owner of the station and operator of the high-speed line between London and the Channel tunnel, is the latest body to raise concerns over the impact on travel of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks that are set to come into force in October 2024.

The new system which requires citizens from outside the EU or Schengen area to register before entering the zone would lead to long delays and potential capping of services and passenger numbers, HS1 warned.

The company said it needed nearly 50 new EES kiosks to process passengers but the French government had only proposed 24.

In evidence to the European scrutiny select committee, HS1 wrote: “We are told that the proposed kiosks are ‘optional’ as the process can be delivered at the border, but without about 49 additional kiosks located before the current international zone [at St Pancras] there would be unacceptable passenger delays of many hours and potential capping of services.”

With just 24 kiosks, Eurostar would be unable to process all passengers, particularly at the morning peak, and this could “lead to services having to be capped in terms of passenger numbers”, HS1 warned, adding that simple space restrictions at St Pancras station would make the EES difficult to implement.

The EES will register non-EU travellers who do not require a visa (those with residency permits in EU countries do not need to register but will be affected by delays) each time they cross a border in or out of the Schengen area. It will replace the old system of manual passport-stamping.

It will mean facial scans and fingerprints will have to be taken in front of border guards at the first entry into the Schengen area.

Travel bosses have repeatedly raised the alarm about the possible delays this would cause, especially at the UK-France border, which is used by 11 million passengers each year who head to France and other countries across Europe.

Last week The Local reported warnings by officials that the new checks could lead to 14-hour queues for travellers heading to France.

Sir William Cash, Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, said: “Queues of more than 14 hours; vehicles backed up along major roads; businesses starved of footfall: this evidence paints an alarming picture of the possible risks surrounding the Entry-Exit System’s implementation.

“Clearly, this policy could have a very serious impact, not only for tourists and travel operators but also for local businesses. I implore decision makers on both sides of the Channel to take note of this evidence.”

READ ALSO: What affect will the EES border system have on travel to France?

The Port of Dover has already been struggling with the increased checks required since Brexit and there are fears the situation could be even worse once the EES starts to operate.

Given the possible impacts, the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee last year launched an inquiry calling for views by affected entities with deadline for replies on January 12th 2024.

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