Jean-Paul Mulot, France’s “ambassador” of the Hauts-de-France region (home to Calais, the country’s busiest passenger port and a major cargo thoroughfare) did not mince his words. He called on the European Union and Britain to reach a Brexit deal fast and to stop talking about a no-deal scenario.
“Hurry up, and above all, avoid a ‘no-deal’,” Mulot, who is based in Britain, urged both sides.
“Today, we’re hearing political leaders at the highest level admit that a ‘no-deal’ is possible, even worth considering,” he said in an interview with Reuters. “That’s extremely worrying.”
As reported by the Reuters news agency, the fortunes of Calais and the wider Hauts-de-France region are closely intertwined with the UK’s future trade ties. But with little more than seven months to go until Britain leaves the bloc there is still no agreement on divorce terms or clarity on a new trade relationship.
Last month, London told British companies trading with the EU they would face a tangle of red tape and possible border delays if there is no exit deal.
“We need stability,” said Mulot. “Otherwise we are going to miss the deadline. The deadline was supposed to be the end of October. We are now talking about December.”
A no-deal or even a ‘hard Brexit’ would hurt the Calais region.
