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France activates plan for no-deal Brexit: PM
PARIS, Jan 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The French government has activated its
plans for handling the effects of a no-deal Brexit, which has become “less
and less unlikely”, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Thursday.
Speaking after a ministerial meeting called to discuss the British
parliament’s rejection of the divorce deal negotiated with the EU, Philippe
said: “I have taken the decision to activate the plan for a no-deal Brexit.”
The plan provides for 50 million euros ($56 million) of investment in
French ports and airports, “which are obviously the places most affected by
the changes needed” in the event of Britain crashing out of the EU without a
deal.
“In some ports that will be the construction of car parks, in others it
will be the establishment of infrastructure for carrying out checks,”
Philippe said.
France had already planned on recruiting extra customs staff and
veterinary inspectors.
The French parliament is on Thursday expected to complete the adoption of
a bill allowing the government to take decisions by decree if necessary
following a no-deal Brexit, which could create potentially chaotic scenes on
both sides of the Channel.
“We want to be ready to protect the interests of our citizens,” Philippe
said.
“Our objective is at the same time to respect our obligations, to make
sure that the lives of our citizens and, in a way, British citizens living in
France, are impacted as little as possible,” he added.
BSS/AFP/RY/1638 hrs