The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has made comment on the Government delaying bringing in checks on EU goods coming into Britain by six months, in order to give businesses more time to prepare.
Andrew Opie, BRC's Director of Food & Sustainability, said, “We are pleased that the Government has listened to us and postponed border checks until the systems and border posts are ready.
'With many of the key Border Control Posts currently little more than a hole in the ground, the six month easement comes in the nick of time. Until the infrastructure is in place, with IT systems ready and established processes for checks and paperwork, it would be foolhardy to introduce full requirements for EHC documentation, pre-notification of imports, physical checks and more.
'We welcome the Government’s decision, which will ultimately reduce the impact on consumers from the 1st April, who might otherwise have seen empty shelves for some products. Government must not rest on its laurels, and the next six months must be used to establish and communicate the new systems with UK retailers and EU suppliers.”