One of the UK’s closest allies in the European Union is scrambling to get ready for what its foreign minister considers the “worst” case scenario, a no deal Brexit. Millions are being splashed on the Rotterdam harbour, through which some 40 million tonnes of goods every year travel to and from the UK, in a bid to hire the hundreds of people needed to carry out the security checks on goods and people which a no deal would require. The House of Commons voted last week to rule out a no deal and asked the Government to seek an extension to Article 50 to prevent the UK from leaving the bloc without a deal.
But until Theresa May heads to the EU summit tomorrow to ask for a delay on Brexit and the EU27 unanimously agree on the strategy, the likelihood of no deal is still very much on the table.
This uncertainty makes no deal preparations necessary for the Dutch government.
Stef Blok, the country’s foreign minister, told Politico: “There is no alternative but to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”
The Dutch minister urged Britain to end the uncertainty and clearly indicate which path it wants to follow.
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Saying he hopes to see the UK securing an extension to Article 50, which would allow the British Government to rework its future relationship with the EU and avoid a no deal Brexit, Mr Blok said: “The solution must come from London now.”
The funds allocated for no deal preparations are being used to train up to 900 new staff members to handle custom checks, to hire builders to create five new parking areas across the port to mitigate the congestion the longer checks will create and to recruit more security officers.
Members of the Dutch harbour’s staff are also handing out leaflets in 12 languages to the almost 1,500 trucks which every day go through the Vlaardingen port, a truck terminal connected to the Rotterdam dock complex.
Jan Meijer, director of inspections at the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, said he has been recruiting veterinarians to carry out agricultural control checkpoints from Belgium and Central Europe.
He said: “We already have a small shortage.
“They need to learn Dutch, which is quite a difficult language.
“The first step is an 18-week intensive Dutch course so having them operational in time is quite a task.”
Revealing his agency has already spent almost £10m in no deal preparations, he added he would be happy to relocate the newly-hired staff if the UK and the EU reached an agreement to avoid the “worst” scenario.
He said: “It could be like the millennium bug again.
“A lot of work, a lot of preparation, but in the end everything is OK.”
Jan Janse, district chief of the port police force, also warned of the impact no deal would have on security.
Estimating there are some 75 criminal organisations active across the Dutch port, Mr Janse said his officers will have difficulties to deal with their British counterparts following the end of the Europol treaty, which currently sees the UK collaborating on police and judicial matters.
He said: “We used to have such good cooperation with the UK that we didn’t need to have any officers there, there was never any need.
“Now that’s going to change.”