Important updates and information for truck drivers:
The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020 after both sides concluded a Withdrawal Agreement to facilitate an orderly departure.
The Withdrawal Agreement provided for a transition period, which ended on 31 December 2020.
On 24 December 2020, the EU and UK negotiating teams reached agreement in principle on a Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which came into effect at the end of the transition period. The Agreement provides for tariff-free, quota-free trade and for sectoral cooperation in a number of important areas. The European Commission has provided more information on the Agreement on its website . Given the late stage at which the negotiations were finalised, the European Commission has recommended that the Agreement is provisionally applied for a period from 1 January while the EU and UK procedures to conclude the agreement are completed.
It is important to note that even with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement in place, the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December brings substantial and lasting change, as the UK is no longer part of the EU Single Market and Customs Union. This will mean new procedures apply for businesses moving goods to, from or through the UK, excluding Northern Ireland. The Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland , which forms part of the Withdrawal Agreement agreed between the EU and the UK in 2019, means that no new procedures will apply to goods moving between Northern Ireland and Ireland (and the other Member States of the European Union).
Details of key services for businesses are available here .
Read the latest update on: Traffic Management Plans for Dublin Port and Dublin City Road Network
For information and guides on preparing your business for Brexit, click here
It is important that we all understand these changes and the necessary steps we now need to take.
To keep up to date on the latest news:
- check out our ongoing calendar of Government events across the country with details of upcoming events in your sector or locality
- check out the latest EU information on Brexit preparedness for business and for citizens
- follow Getting Ireland Brexit Ready on Twitter. @BrexitReadyIRL is the main government Twitter account for the latest Brexit news
- find out more about the process that led to the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration