Latest Government guidance for businesses on Brexit

Published: February 15th, 2019

The UK will leave the EU on 29 March 2019. Leaving the EU means businesses may need to prepare for change.

Leaving the EU with a deal remains the government’s top priority. Without a deal, businesses may need to take action before 29 March 2019, and we recommend that businesses ensure they are prepared.

The government has created an online tool for businesses to find the latest information on EU Exit, how they will be affected, and the actions they can take to prepare. Businesses can access the tool here: www.gov.uk/euexitbusiness and sign up to receive customised alerts. New information will be published over the coming weeks so businesses should continue to check in on a regular basis.

Several government departments have recently published information on the steps that businesses may need to take to prepare for our exit from the EU, please see updates below.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently published guidance on several key areas affecting businesses. Please follow these links for support on: food labelling, exporting and importing fish, transporting endangered species,working with chemicals,pesticides,importing and exporting plants,trading timber, andmanaging data. Defra will continue to provide further information and guidance on other topics that may affect businesses should we leave the EU without a deal.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published guidance onhealth and identification marks, importing high-risk food and animal feed and GM food or feed or animal feed additives. For more information visit www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/prepare-your-business-for-the-uk-leaving-the-eu

The Border Delivery Group and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have published a series of short videos and leaflets to help businesses prepare for changes at the UK/EU border in a ‘no deal’ scenario. The videos set out the actions that businesses will need to take to continue to trade in a ‘no deal’ EU Exit, and direct them towards further information available online. Along with a general video and leaflet for all businesses, there are tailored products for specific industries. There are also two deep dive videos available that provide more detail on importing and exporting in a ‘no deal’ scenario. The videos are all available here, and a toolkit will soon be available online with the full range of materials and advice on how to use them to engage with businesses. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has recently published sector primers for businesses setting out how to prepare for EU Exit. Please follow the links for: automotive, aerospace, construction, oil and gas production, retail, space,professional and business services, chemicals, electronics, machinery and parts, electricity sector and gas markets. BEIS also hosts a weekly EU Exit Business Readiness Forum to support businesses to prepare for a no deal scenario. The forum is aimed at business representative organisations, trade associations and professional bodies and provides regular updates on information published by all departments that may be relevant to their members. BEIS is also keen to support the engagement you are doing to help businesses in your area prepare for EU Exit. If you would like our support, please contact LGEngagement@communities.gov.uk More Brexit advice and guides for businesses can be found here