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Trading Standards system not ready for ‘no-deal’ Brexit says CTSI Head of Policy

Posted 09/10/19

The UK's trading standards system is not yet ready for a 'no deal' Brexit, according to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's (CTSI), Head of Policy, Craig McClue. The comment comes following the No-Deal Readiness Report published today by the Department for Exiting the European Union. 

The report states: "The trading standards and regulatory services system would transition into UK law from EU law. While this would not cause significant change, local councils would no longer have access to EU databases." 

Mr McClue responded, saying: "In the advent of 'no deal' the legal and regulatory system in the UK will face substantial, overnight changes. That brings many risks, not least because the legal provisions for retained EU law are untested. A further point is that many trading standards services are not yet fully trained on new conformity assessment procedures and markings. We would much prefer an orderly Brexit with a transition period that allows major changes to bed in." 

He added: "We are simply not confident that the UK's trading standards system is 'no deal' ready. Trading standards officer numbers have been cut by more than 50% in under a decade, and service capacity is far below what it should be to deal with sudden shocks and changes to our regulatory system."

CTSI CEO Leon Livermore said: 

"The CTSI is concerned about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. A lack of a deal will provide challenges to the UK trading standards system because cross border data sharing will cease. We hope the government reaches an agreement that maintains the existing links between UK Trading Standards and our colleagues in EU member states."

ENDS