11 April 2018

BBC: Brexit: 'Bonfire of rules' mean more costs than benefits, CBI says

Agriculture, shipping and tourism might benefit, but this was "vastly outweighed" by the impact on other sectors, the CBI said. [...]

The report, called Smooth Operations, suggests the UK could still exert influence over important regulatory decisions through continued membership of the many EU agencies - such as the ones governing aerospace and chemicals - in which other non-EU nations like Turkey currently participate.

CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said there was no appetite on the part of business for a bonfire of regulations, and called on the government to prioritise evidence over ideology in the negotiations over a future trade deal.

She said: "It's vitally important that negotiators understand the complexity of rules and the effects that even the smallest of changes can have.

"Deviation from rules in one sector will have a knock-on effect on businesses in others, and divergence from rules in one part of a production process will have consequences for market access throughout entire supply chains.

"Put simply, for the majority of businesses, diverging from EU rules and regulations will make them less globally competitive, and so should only be done where the evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the costs." [...]

"It is quite extraordinary that this business lobby group wants to keep a load of unnecessary EU regulations that stifle growth and innovation, which will thus reduce wage growth potential for UK workers." [...]

One of Europe's most senior bankers has warned the City of London that it needs to be ready for a "cliff edge" exit from the EU next year.

Andreas Dombret, director of the German central bank, the Bundesbank, said a transition deal, though positive, was not 100% certain and it was correct for a cautious regulator to ensure there was a plan in place should it fail to happen. [...]

Full article on BBC

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