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Ferries should help if the transport of goods stalls
Photo: Owen Humphreys / dpa
Great Britain is preparing for a no-deal Brexit: In order to secure access to medication and other important goods despite potentially unsuccessful negotiations with the EU, the British government has awarded multi-million dollar contracts to several ferry companies.
These should help if the regular logistics sinks into chaos.
So that goods "can be delivered to Great Britain without any problems, whatever the outcome of the negotiations with the EU", the country has agreements with ferry logistics companies worth around £ 77 million (around EUR 86 million) for the first six months after the end of Brexit - Transitional phase signed.
This was announced by the responsible transport authority in London.
Medicines could become scarce
The UK and the EU are currently wrestling with a trade pact.
At the turn of the year, the Brexit transition phase expires, while Great Britain is still benefiting from the EU customs union and the internal market.
Should the negotiations fail, there is a threat of a hard economic break with tariffs and other economic hurdles.
In this case, medicines and certain foods could become scarce on the island - among other things, because long traffic jams as a result of the newly applicable formalities could hinder their imports.
EU prepares for failure of negotiations
Shortly before the end of the negotiation period, the EU sees little progress in coordinating with London.
The talks are difficult on all important points, said diplomats after a meeting of the European ministers with the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Luxembourg.
The EU is also continuing to prepare for a tough trade break.
At the weekend, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke on the phone with Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The British Prime Minister then stressed that a deal would be mutually beneficial.
However, Great Britain is also prepared to end the transition phase without an agreement.
Johnson had set the EU a deadline of October 15 for an agreement.
Then the EU heads of state and government meet at a summit in Brussels.
However, the EU wants to continue negotiating after Johnson's deadline and still sees room for maneuver until the end of October.
Then an economic agreement would have to be in place in order to be ratified and come into force in good time at the beginning of the year.
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luz / ire / dpa