What is the EU doing to prepare for a no-deal Brexit?

The prime minister has refused to rule out a no-deal Brexit, and her government is making some preparations to cushion the expected impact of such a withdrawal.

But in many respects, the EU is further ahead than the UK when it comes to preparations. It has made a number of changes to deal with a no-deal Brexit – as well as the possible disruption caused even by an orderly withdrawal.

Responsibility for the EU’s no-deal preparations is split between the European Commission in Brussels, and the 27 EU member states themselves.

All the member states will have to make some kind of preparations, but some will be more affected than others.

France, the Netherlands and Belgium will bear the brunt, as they have the closest links with the UK because of their geographical location. Spain also faces extra challenges due to the proximity of Gibraltar.

In Brussels, the EU’s general secretary Martin Selmayr, who leads its civil service, is personally in charge of no-deal prep.

The European Commission has issued dozens of “preparedness notices” to help inform businesses about how they might be affected when the UK leaves.

These are sorted into different policy areas, ranging from public procurement to environment – often down to minute detail.

There is, for instance, a three-page notice dedicated to occupational retirement pensions. Inland waterways get their own notice, as do slaughterhouse operators.

The commission has also made a number changes to its own structures. It has relocated the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority, drawn up new guidelines on visas, and issued new regulations on air transport, ship inspection, and car-type approval – among other tidying-up exercises.

A senior EU official will also be dispatched to each member state to help no-deal prep.

Different EU countries have different interactions with the UK, and are making different preparations accordingly.

For some states, the main issue is what happens to British citizens living within their borders in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Because UK nationals will no longer be able to live and work in EU countries by default, states have to decide what to do with them. This is the responsibility of member states, not the EU as a whole.

Most countries are creating some kind of registration scheme for existing British nationals, and have guaranteed their rights even in the event of a no-deal scenario – though some have been quicker than others.

Other countries have a closer relationship with the UK. The Netherlands deals with a lot of trade bound for the UK, so the Dutch government has hired 1,000 extra customs officers for the port of Rotterdam and Schiphol airport, which are both major hubs into the UK. These staff will be needed to deal with the extra customs checks a no-deal would bring.

On 28 January it will be launching a major information campaign for businesses, which the government says have not moved quickly enough to prepare.

France’s national assembly has, meanwhile, granted the French government sweeping emergency powers to deal with all aspects of a no-deal Brexit. France is investing €50m (£44m) in its ports, appointing as many as 580 customs and regulatory staff, who will be needed to check produce going into and out of the UK.

The focus in France is on expanding control points and parking areas to help cope with the long queues expected to form.

The Irish government has dropped low priority government business in order to focus on no-deal planning. It is making technical preparations in areas such as health, communications, education, finance, employment and justice – where it has close links to the UK.

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