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Opinion: Brexit makes cooperation in the North Sea Region more important than ever

The North Sea region's maritime economy employs more than 850,000 people, but in order for Brexit to cause as little damage to it as possible cooperation must be strengthened, the North Sea Commission writes.

Published: 23 January 2018 06:59 CET
Opinion: Brexit makes cooperation in the North Sea Region more important than ever
File photo of a ferry crossing the North Sea. Photo: Owen Humphreys/AP

The North Sea Region has a long history of close relations in trade and personal exchange. Thanks to membership of European Union and the EEA agreement including Norway, these relations are stronger now than ever.

We respect the decision by the British people to leave the European Union. However, the United Kingdom and the European Union must ensure in the upcoming negotiations that this decision will cause as little harm as possible to the North Sea Region and to the North Sea itself. Strong North Sea relations are more important than ever, and Brexit is a reason to increase cooperation.

The North Sea is one of the busiest sea basins in the world. Its shipping lanes are a crucial part of Europe's logistics, and its ports handle 57 per cent of EU's external trade. Its maritime economy employs more than 850,000 people. It has some of Europe’s best fishing waters. It delivers 80 per cent of EU’s marine renewable energy, and has great capacity for more. North Sea oil and gas still play a significant role in European and global energy production. The coastline is an important recreation area, yet the shallow waters and the coasts are vulnerable to oil spills, plastics and other pollution. Strong multi-level cooperation is needed in all these areas.

From March 2019, the external border of EU will cut right through this prosperous and tightly connected region. So far, Brexit negotiations have only concentrated on certain aspects of the divorce, but they will soon concern the future relations between the UK and the EU. The UK will also leave the European Economic Area (EEA), and will have to renegotiate its relationship with Norway.

READ ALSO: More Brits want Swedish citizenship since Brexit vote

The CPMR North Sea Commission represents regions, provinces, countries and councils around the North Sea. Thirty-three regions from the EU member states (including the UK) and Norway are members. We have been working since 1989 to create partnerships between our members and to promote the interests of the North Sea Region in Europe, specifically in the fields of marine resources, accessibility and clean transport, energy/climate change and prosperous and sustainable communities.

A number of concerns arise from our initial analysis of Brexit. A “hard” Brexit will cause several barriers to trade, in particular if no deal is reached on a future free trade agreement. Supply chains will be broken. Small and medium-sized companies in our regions, without experience of trade outside the EU, will suffer. The damaging effects of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade will have a particularly harsh impact on certain regions and sectors. There will be economic consequences for all of us.

In the UK, new restrictions on migration may lead to lack of skills in important sectors. The UK is one of the most active partners in EU’s research programme, and the strong scientific links across the North Sea will suffer if the UK leaves the programme. Interreg North Sea and other European cooperation programmes provide valuable support to regional development and exchange in the North Sea area.

READ ALSO: How Brexit made me quit my job, pack up my life and move to Sweden

The regional authorities are committed to continued exchange and cooperation. We hope to see the same commitment from the national and European levels. We call for future frameworks between the UK and the EU to provide scope for direct engagement between local authorities in the UK and regions in the EU27. We call for continued UK participation in some of the most important EU programmes. We call for stronger cooperation between the EU, national, regional and local authorities to balance the many interests in the North Sea.

As regional representatives we are eager to discuss how we can maintain and develop close transnational and multi-level relationships in the North Sea region in the Brexit era.

The Executive Committee of the CPMR North Sea Commission

Kerstin Brunnström, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden, President

John Lamb, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, England, Vice President

Andreas Lervik, Østfold County Council, Norway, Vice President

Peter Argyle, Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland

Marianne Chesak, Rogaland County Council, Norway

Preben Friis-Hauge, Region South Denmark, Denmark

Antje Grotheer, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany

Nienke Homan, Province of Groningen, the Netherlands

Dag Hultefors, Region Halland, Sweden

This is an opinion piece written by the CPMR North Sea Commission. It was originally published in Swedish by Dagens Nyheter.

TRAVEL NEWS

EES: Could the launch of Europe’s new border system be delayed again?

After being postponed several times already Europe's new biometric Entry/Exit border system (EES) is set to be rolled out in October, but with fears of lengthy queues, problems with a new app and demands for more time, could it be postponed again?

Published: 26 April 2024 11:50 CEST
EES: Could the launch of Europe's new border system be delayed again?

Could the entry into operation of the EU entry/exit system (EES), the new biometric passport checks for non-EU citizens at the Schengen area’s external borders, be delayed yet again?

Originally planned for May 2022, EES has already been postponed many times.

The current launch date, set for October 2024, was chosen to avoid periods of peak traffic and France in particular had requested to avoid it being launched until after the Paris Olympics this summer.

When asked to confirm the October start date this week a spokesperson for the EU’s Commission told The Local that the “roadmap” for the EES IT system foresees it will be ready for Autumn 2024. But the actual start date, in other words, the day when passengers will have to register, would be confirmed nearer the time.

The spokesperson said: “The exact date will be determined by the European Commission and announced on the EES official website well in time for the start of operations.”

READ ALSO: Your key questions answered about Europe’s new EES passport checks

But the reasons are adding up to suggest an October start date is optimistic, perhaps even unlikely.

In the annual report on the ‘State of Schengen’ published last week, the European Commission spelt out that severe challenges remain if member states are to be ready on time.

“In 2023, efforts to ensure the entry into operation of the Entry-Exit System in the autumn of 2024 were accelerated… While important progress has been made across the Schengen area, some Member States are still falling behind, notably regarding the effective equipment of border crossing points. The Commission calls on all Member States to urgently accelerate preparations to ensure the timely implementation of the system…”

A map in the report shows that preparation is still “in progress” in 13 Schengen area countries, including Germany, Norway and Switzerland. “Outstanding issues” still impact Portugal, Malta and Bulgaria.

The state of play for the preparations for EES across EU and Schengen states. Image: European Commission.

There are also reports that EU heavyweight Germany is trying to persuade Brussels to delay.

Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP claimed on his website that “the German government is lobbying in Brussels to postpone the date once again, as otherwise the German tests of the EES cannot be completed in full. Other EU countries are also behind schedule, with only eight of them having reported successful integration.”

Even on a French government website it talks of EES being rolled out some time “between the end of 2024 and 2025” rather than stating October 2024.

And according to recent media reports, French airports have been advised to be ready for November 6th, rather than October. 

READ ALSO: EES and Etias – what are the big upcoming travel changes in Europe?

A planned EU app, believed to be essential to the smooth operation of EES because it would allow non-EU visitors to register in advance of travel will not be ready, Gwendoline Cazenave, Managing Director of Eurostar International, the company operating train services via the Channel Tunnel, has told the BBC. The EU however insists the app does not need to be up and running before EES is introduced.

In the UK, which will be heavily impacted by EES due to the fact it is no longer in the EU and so British travellers are no longer EU citizens, the House of Commons European scrutiny committee is conducting an inquiry on the potential disruption the introduction of the EES will cause at the border.

Several respondents have recently raised the alarm about the possible delays the system could cause, especially at the UK-France border, which is used by millions of passengers each year who head to France and other countries across Europe.

Ashford Borough Council in Kent has warned of the possibility of more than 14 hours queues to reach the Port of Dover, which has already been struggling increased checked after Brexit.

The BBC reported that back in March, a P&O Ferries director said the IT system should be delayed again.

Airlines have also complained about the fact pre-travel EES requirements would make last minute bookings impossible.

The Union des Aéroports Français (UAF), which represents airports in France, has simply said more time is needed.

In other words, it would be little surprise if the roll out was delayed again beyond October 2024.

But the Commission spokesperson told The Local that “the timeline for the entry into operation of the EES took into account all the necessary activities to be performed by all relevant stakeholders to ensure a timely entry into operation. 

“The Commission is working very closely with eu-Lisa [the EU agency in charge of the IT system], the Member States and carriers to ensure that everything is ready for the timely and successful launch of the Entry Exit System.

“The roadmap for the delivery of the new IT architecture foresees that the Entry/Exit system will be ready to enter into operation in Autumn 2024.”

New digital border

The EES is a digital system to register travellers from non-EU countries when they cross a border in or out of the Schengen area, the travel-free area. It will be deployed in 29 countries across Europe including 25 EU states plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Ireland and Cyprus are the only EU members who won’t apply the EES system.

It doesn’t apply to non-EU nationals who are legally resident in an EU/Schengen area country or those with dual nationality of an EU /Schengen county. The system was designed to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Instead of having the passport stamped, travellers will have to scan it at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are huge concerns the extra time needed could generate long queues in the UK, where there are juxtaposed border checks with the EU.

Preparations are ongoing throughout Europe and some countries have made good progress.

In France, Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, has recently reported that new EES infrastructure is finished at its French terminal of Coquelles, which will allow travellers to register their biometric data while travelling.

Eurostar is also installing 49 kiosks in stations for the registration of passengers. But the Union des Aéroports Français (UAF), which represents airports in France, said more time is needed.

Exempted

Meanwhile, the Polish government has urged UK citizens who are beneficiaries of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement to get a residence permit “in the context of EES/ETIAS”, even though there was not such an obligation to stay legally in Poland post-Brexit.

“Having such a document is beneficial as it will exempt from future Entry/Exit System (EES) registration when crossing external borders and from the need to obtain an ETIAS travel permit in relation to short-term travel to EU/Schengen countries,” the government page says.

This article as published in collaboration with Europe Street news.

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