Brexit
Britain’s pubs and brewers are committed to delivering a great customer experience, rewarding careers and fantastic development opportunities. The sector has a unique role in enhancing Britain’s reputation overseas and is well placed to be a driving force for growth as the UK prepares to leave the European Union. For British businesses to thrive in a post-Brexit world we should strive to operate the most competitive tax and regulatory regime in Europe. From a resurgence in British beer exports, to major job creation in pubs and the provision of great hospitality for millions of tourists each year, delivering a highly competitive tax and regulatory environment for beer and pubs will reap major rewards for UK plc.
Promoting Great British Beer & Pubs
British brewing and pub industries have been enormous beneficiaries of overseas tourism. For many tourists, our food and drink is an essential part of a visit to the UK.
We are calling for:
- Greater support for promotion of British goods in the UK and overseas markets
- Government and Visit Britain to bolster activity to communicate the UK as a welcoming destination in overseas markets
- Government to clarify no change in the entry requirements for visitors to the UK for at least two years
- The UK to maintain access to Regional Protected Status for food and drink products that have traditional or regional characteristics or qualities
- Simplification of visa requirements for visitors from non-EU countries
Attracting skills and labour
It is vital for brewers and pubs that there remains access to the skills and labour the sector needs to grow and that we retain a business environment that provides for a productive and motivated workforce.
We are calling for:
- No changes to the rights of existing overseas workers in the industry and within the supply chain
- Any future immigration system to support ffectively the necessary levels of staffing for UK businesses
- Any quota system to take account of the service sector and areas of staff shortages (such as pub chefs)
- Maintaining strong working practices with no erosion of current employment rights
Trading as freely as possible
It is vital for British brewers that trading relationships are free and open, so that our sector can continue to flourish and create jobs and growth: and the rest of the world can experience the pleasure of a great British beer.
We are calling for:
- A free trade deal with the EU as a priority with no tariffs or additional paperwork for beer exports
- Free trade deals with key third-country partners and the rest of the world that benefit beer exports
- No introduction of minimum pricing which would be inconsistent with free trade and open markets
- Maintaining a food safety system that is compliant with the demands of leading trade partners around the world
- A review of where state aid and free movement rules are hampering business support
A favourable tax regime
We need a tax regime that encourages investment in Britain’s pubs and breweries to ensure a great customer experience. The UK currently has the second highest excise levels in the EU and it is vital this burden is reduced to allow our sector to compete following Brexit.
We are calling for:
- A more competitive excise duty regime that supports growth in exports of British beer, encourages the consumption of lowerstrength drinks and supports pubs
- Reduced VAT on pub meals
An increase in Climate Change Agreement discounts and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to be replaced by a simpler system - Partnership working with industry to consider new opportunities to tackle duty fraud
- Support for the domestic production of key raw materials for brewing such as malting barley and hops through an effective subsidy regime for Britain’s farmers
Effective and proportionate regulation
The sector faces a very significant regulatory burden. The removal or adoption of EU Directives must cause minimal disruption to business whilst taking the opportunity to establish a more competitive business environment that supports a thriving beer and pub sector.
We are calling for:
- Adoption of EU Competition Law
- A better, more cost effective framework for recycling
- Adopt the existing EU food labelling regime
- Maintain standard product measurements
- Effective regulation of approved pesticides, with a strong, central role for DEFRA
- Adoption of the EU copyright system
- Work with industry to identify other opportunities to develop a more effective and light touch regulatory regime particularly for SMEs
- EU legislation currently implemented to be the default starting point where time is needed to get regulation right for UK business
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HMRC Brexit & ExciseDownload
27 February 2019
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Brexit Government PresentationsDownload
12 February 2019
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Brexit Preparations One-pagerDownload
12 February 2019
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HM Treasury Consultation on Customs PaperDownload
20 February 2018
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BEIS Brexit InquiryDownload
20 February 2018
News
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Beer duty freeze - Ministers join thank you celebration in Westminster
Three Government Ministers joined with brewing industry campaigners at a thank you party in Fuller’s Red Lion pub in Westminster last night, to mark the freeze in beer duty in the Budget. Andrew Jones, Exchequer Secretary with responsibility for alcohol taxation, Pubs Minister Jake Berry and Marcus Jones, Local Government Minister, were hosted by BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds and other industry campaigners. Mike Wood MP, who led the backbench campaign as Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, and former Chairman Andrew Griffiths also joined the celebrations. Brigid Simmonds, BBPA Chief Executive comments: “It was great to thank Government ministers for supporting our industry. The beer duty freeze will make a real difference, business rates help went much further than expected and it shows the Government understands the importance of brewing and pubs, both to their local communities and the wider economy.”
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Settled status for EU citizens - BBPA comments on more detail provided by Home Office
Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive, comments: “I hope this will provide reassurance to the thousands of EU employees in our industry that they will be welcome in the UK, after Brexit, and that every effort will be made to make the process of gaining settled status as easy as possible. “They make an essential contribution to the industry, right across the country. It is good to see the Government making it clear that they will be welcome, and pushing the EU to resolve their status as soon as possible in the Brexit negotiations.”