Between the hiring of 1,300 civil servants and the costs of infrastructure development, the reestablishment of the Franco-British border following Brexit cost the French state around 200 million euros, the Minister for Public Accounts announced on Wednesday. Olivier Dussopt.
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A cost which should however be "
partly offset
" by the European Brexit support fund, endowed with 5.3 billion euros, said the minister during his hearing by the Finance Committee of the National Assembly.
In detail, 700 additional customs officers have been recruited, while the border police have increased their staff by 177 full-time equivalents (FTE) and 84 reservists.
Finally, to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary controls, 466 FTEs were deployed at the border, an effort which "
allowed the opening of the veterinary control center of Boulogne-sur-Mer 24 hours a day
", specified the minister.
It is in this center that arrive "
all the seafood, whatever the port of disembarkation
", he added.
60 million euros for the creation of a border
Adapting the infrastructure, which had been "
designed for the free movement of people and goods
" when the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union, required an investment of more than 60 million euros.
“
We have recreated a border, which is an unprecedented event
” and all the more so since it is “
one of the most active crossing points in our territory
”, through which 30 million travelers and 5 millions of heavy goods vehicles a year, argued the minister.
Welcoming "
the very high level
" of preparation on the French side, he however pinned the "
lack of customs offices to complete the formalities, of customs staff on the British side
", in particular for fishing.
“
Today, landing is almost impossible in Scotland, since many French companies fished in the North Sea but landed the fish in Scotland
” before it was transported by road to the south of England, a- he asserted.
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Concerning the traffic, "
the generalized congestion which was feared did not take place, we know flows close to normal, with more than 90% of the usual traffic
", that is to say "
more than 33,000 trucks per week on importation
" , specified the minister.
