Brexit, and what it means for European seafood traders

A webinar on 24 June 2021 10.00 to 12.00 Register at: Eurofish.dk/webinar-brexit

Organized for Eurofish member countries, potential members, and partners, we invite representatives from ministries, trade associations, and companies to attend this webinar that will focus on Brexit.

The departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union took place at midnight 31st January 2021, after four years of negotiations. Brexit began and ended with fisheries as one of the central issues, in particular, mutual access to fishing grounds and to seafood markets.

With some significant wrinkles still to be ironed out in an agreement that entered into force on 1 May 2021, Brexit has so far caused more challenges than opportunities for seafood interests in the UK and the EU. Despite a multiyear period in which to prepare. Uncertainty regarding fisheries and market access is widespread on both sides, and negotiations on the terms of what is supposed to be a completed, bilaterally ratified agreement continue.

Already thrown into disarray by the pandemic, companies in seafood production, processing, and trade have to deal with added complications from Brexit. The problems are worse for those geographically close to the issue – in France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK itself – but those farther away experience supply chain disruptions too.

To clarify some of the issues, the International Organisation for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe (Eurofish) offers a webinar with specialists on the seafood industry and markets, and experts on Brexit. The speakers will analyse Brexit’s impacts on seafood production, consumption, and trade, what has changed in terms of rules and regulations that have a bearing on seafood, and what companies need now to do business in the UK and the EU. The webinar updates participants on the Brexit situation and the positive and negative implications for the seafood industry.