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In Malvinas they say they are disappointed and frustrated by Brexit

2021-01-17T22:07:56.403Z


It is because they were left out of the trade agreement between the EU and the UK. And now your products will pay tariffs on the European market. But they reject any rapprochement with Buenos Aires.


Natasha Niebieskikwiat

01/17/2021 18:35

  • Clarín.com

  • Politics

Updated 01/17/2021 6:35 PM

"Disappointed" and "frustrated".

This is how the Kelpers say they feel about the economic and political blow that Brexit ended up giving them.

On the edge of Christmas 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union reached a historic but hard-fought trade agreement.

It was the last chapter of Brexit.

This has been in force since January 1.

And in short,

at the end of the negotiations, the so-called Overseas Territories

that Great Britain possesses

were excluded

: including the Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich.

They are the islands of the South Atlantic whose sovereignty Argentina claims.

By the way, the Foreign Ministry had been asking Brussels and the EU countries individually to do so.

The secretary of the Malvinas and South Atlantic Islands Area, Daniel Filmus, and Foreign Minister Felipe Solá himself did it personally.

Still, the decision of Europeans and British transcends the claim of Argentina, in principle

because it is a standard decision for all colonies. 

Clarín

made a survey on the

hard blow

that this British separation from the EU represents for the islanders, in principle because they

lost access to the European market with zero tariffs that they enjoyed for decades.

The first thing the islanders did was to ratify a text issued by the Legislative Assembly last week in which they expressed their annoyance.

"In the first place - the text of the legislators points out - it is important to record how disappointed and frustrated we are that the agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU does not include provisions for the Malvinas Islands or other Overseas Territories (OT); as a result, our exports to the EU are now subject to tariffs. "

Indeed,

if they do not make a better arrangement from London, the Islands will have to pay tariffs of between 6% and 18% in the European market for the fish they export there

.

This sector constitutes up to 60% of the income to the island's treasury through the sale of licenses to foreign vessels that operate within the area administered by the United Kingdom.

Malvinas

sheep meat

exports

would pay up to 42% tariffs in Europe.

This is happening as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hit the economies of the entire world.

And this paralyzed tourism, which the islands also live on.

Especially from the cruise season, which combined their trips to Antarctica.

In some islands that

were excited to exploit oil and it still does not happen,

  there are significant communication difficulties and during the pandemic they depend more on the United Kingdom. 

Consulted by this newspaper about the new scenario, the counselor Teslyn Bakman pointed out that the agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU was always worked with a mandate that excluded the OT (as they say to the Oversea Territories, which are the Overseas Territories) .

"This was based on the fact that the EU did not have a mandate to include its own overseas countries and territories and is the reason why the Falklands are not included and the broader Overseas Territories issues were not included. Our interests were put forward by the UK and

we are now going to work closely with the UK and with our own fisheries and agriculture sectors to remove the tariffs that are now imposed, "

Barkman said.

The islanders have been on alert for years, negotiating and doing numbers so that what did not happen in the end did not happen.

"As OT, we were never in a position to negotiate directly on our behalf," said the so-called MLA (Members of the Legislative Assembly), referring to foreign policy and defense being handled by London.

"Our first challenge was to get UK government officials to understand the impact a no-deal Brexit would have on the Falkland Islands. We did this by engaging with local stakeholders and by publishing three reports that we shared with the UK government. United ", said the members of the assembly and then enumerated their plan of action.

"We have a solid commercial relationship with the EU and even with tariffs this does not change. We sell a premium product that is in great demand in Europe," says Barkman when asked about the future.

Another point on which the assembly members did not comment, but which is a recurring theme in the island press

is the fear they have that Argentina will take advantage of this weak situation in which they remained, which is a threat to them.

The islanders

do not want contacts with the continent other than as "neighbors"

and the hardening of the rhetoric of the Alberto Fernández government around the conflict is

teasing them.

For example, at the beginning of the pandemic they

rejected an offer of help from Filmus with supplies and hospital care.

The islanders who are in the 3,000 inhabitants had no more than 15 positive cases of COVID.

Most of the British military from the base, that is, out of town.

This week they announced the receipt of 3,000 doses of vaccines from Oxford AstraZeneca and will receive 2,000 more later.

They appear to be covered.

But on its horizon a strong uncertainty is imposed and a strong dependence on London while the pandemic continues, hinders its air communications.

The new scenario according to the Government

Consulted diplomatic sources about the future of the relationship and the situation of the Islands before Brexit pointed out the following:

"Argentina will continue to insist on all multilateral organizations regarding the need to apply 2065 and the United Kingdom to resume the negotiation for sovereignty. Also enforcing 31/49 and defending sovereignty over natural resources and condemning the military base It will initiate new lawsuits against the illegal exploitation of hydrocarbons and fishing. On the other hand, it will work to recreate better integration conditions between the islands and the mainland, many of which existed before 1982. The post-Brexit situation creates better conditions for the community. support the Argentine claim. At the same time the internal situation of the UK with respect to Scotland Ireland and the negotiation for Gibraltar also open a new scenario "

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2021-01-17

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