The EURIS Task Force has this week written to the Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, following his speech on Uniting for a Great Brexit, to request a meeting on UK-EU regulatory alignment.

Dr Howard Porter, EURIS Chair, said, “EURIS welcomes the Foreign Secretary’s speech, and the forthcoming expected speeches on Brexit from Government, for helping to provide greater clarity on what Brexit will actually mean for UK industry. We noted however in an answer to a question on EU regulatory alignment, the Foreign Secretary indicated that whilst he would be fine with the UK choosing to stay aligned with EU rules on items such as washing machines for the sake of supply chains, he objects to the idea of the UK making a treaty commitment to do that. EURIS is concerned about this position and would welcome the opportunity to explain why.

Dr Porter continued, “Adopting or mirroring EU technical product regulations for the long-term is essential for product manufacturers to import and export from the EU post Brexit. Any deviation has the potential to cause considerable confusion, uncertainties and costs. This may result in UK companies ceasing to trade in the European markets, at significant economic cost to the UK”.

Steve Brambley, EURIS Vice-Chair, added, “EURIS firmly believes that the best way forward on regulation is for the creation of a new industry-Government partnership to develop the right policies and approaches to ensure no regulatory divergence for product regulations. This would facilitate access to European markets and the vast array of global markets that also look for compliance with European legislation and standards as the basis for trade”.