Edouard Philippe, French prime minister, said after a meeting with ministers on Thursday that the government would launch an investment plan for border control “in the coming days” to help individuals and companies affected by Brexit.
This would involve hiring nearly 600 staff, including customs and veterinary officers, and preparing new parking areas and temporary buildings at French Channel ports such as Dunkirk, Calais and Le Havre.
“What’s clear is that the idea of a no-deal Brexit is less and less improbable,” he said. The British parliament’s overwhelming rejection of the compromise Brexit plan agreed between Theresa May, the prime minister, and the EU had prompted France to issue five decreesto cope with Britain’s possible no-deal exit on March 29, Mr Philippe said in a statement. The text of the decrees was not immediately available.
The first, which covers the rights of British citizens in France, allows the continued operation of UK companies in regulated sectors such as law and accounting. UK citizens — provided Britain reciprocates — will also be able to continue residing in France without a permit for at least a year.
The second covers the increased control measures at ports and airports, while the third allows UK transport companies to continue operating in France and provides for a Eurotunnel security agreement. The fourth decree ensures the smooth running of certain financial services activities, especially in insurance, after UK groups lose their financial “passport” to work in the EU. The fifth guarantees continued military equipment exchanges between the two countries. [...]
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